A Time For A Heir
by Olo Eopia03
Summary: The Daughter of Time. It was almost unheard of until Chiron had sent the two of them to retrieve her. Allen Stradwood and Elli Fugino find themselves engulfed in a series of adventures as they try search for the girl who is destined to preserve the world. Or destroy it.
1. Chapter 1: An Heir is Rising

Chapter 1- A Heir is Rising

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"Ah. It looks like I win again, Dionysus," Chiron chuckled. He laid out his cards on the table so that the plump and purple-faced man in a tiger-striped shirt could see. Minutes passed and you could literally see the god's face get more purple by the second.

_"A flush again! This guy just keeps beating me..." _Dionysus thought, sighing as he summoned his goblet to fill up to the brim with diet coke.

"It's good of you to come visit us again ever since you were invited back to Olympus a century ago," commented Chiron.

"Yes, yes, and here we are again playing pinochle..." Dionysus muttered impatiently as he stood up. "Well, I should be going now. I have ten minutes before Billy Joe's party at 10:30 PM starts,"

"Oh, indeed that is, Mr. D. Hopefully you can visit us again in the meantime," Chiron replied, watching Dionysus produce a party hat and a toy kazoo with a _pop! _The god didn't seem to pay attention to the centaur's comment as he continued,

"You know, Billy Joe has the latest edition of the Pac-Man Deluxe game! Now _that,_ I'm looking forward to," and with that, Dionysus disappeared with a poof of purple smoke smelling strangely of wine. Sighing, Chiron clopped down the stairs, revealing his centaur form of a majestic white stallion. Just as he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, the door in front of him creaked open. Yes, he had been expecting this boy. Chiron knew this boy would come right now and get-

"Why, good evening, Allen. You've come back for your jacket? It's right there on the sofa where you left it." A boy of about fourteen years of age came bustling in, his chestnut brown eyes shining brightly in the light.

"Thanks, Chiron! I never knew 'til now that it was just sitting here in the Big House," Allen said with a grin as he jogged over to retrieve the emerald-colored jacket. A few seconds later, Chiron stood there as he watched the young boy say a kind _good night_ while walking toward the door. Chiron had already turned away and was heading for his office, until Allen's voice stopped him again.

"Um, Chiron? There's someone here who wants to see you, I think," Allen said, his voice suddenly full of caution as he swung the door wide open. A man stood at the entrance wearing a New York City marathon T-shirt along with dark nylon shorts that go well with his running shoes. His salt and pepper hair blew with the chilly breeze that passed through the door. In his right hand was a staff planted firmly on the ground, with two snakes intertwined around the pole. Caduceus.

"Hermes," Chiron said gravely, motioning Allen to come back and sit on the sofa. "What brings you here at this late time?"

"An urgent message, from the gods themselves," Hermes said as he stepped into the room. "Kronos is rising again, and he's rising up faster than before. But. . . there is . . . a heir," The deadly silence continued, the air suddenly getting colder... colder...

Chiron couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Allen's eyes widened as he continued to stare at Hermes, leaning in closer to catch every word that would slip out.

"Impossible," Chiron whispered, absolutely startled by the horrible news. "How?"

"Chiron," Hermes said, "we don't know how powerful this child is, but that shouldn't hinder our steps to stopping the heir, should it? If he lays his hands on his heir, it might even be the end of the gods!" Thunder sounded deafeningly outside the window.

"Where is this heir? We need to track him or her down _immediately_," Chiron said.

"We cannot tell exactly," Hermes replied, "the heir's scent and power is carefully covered. However, our sources tell us it would be best to start in the Southern part of California, San Diego."

_So close to the underworld_, Chiron thought. Anxious, he looked down at the boy on the sofa who was cradling his jacket. Chiron had to start making a huge -and maybe even rash- decision that could cost them... a lot. How much trouble would this get them all into?

"Allen," Chiron said. The boy looked up in response, "leave tomorrow at dawn, and take whatever you need. Bring Elli with you; it seems like you'll need her."

Allen looked up in shock, suddenly snapping into focus as he stood up from the sofa and put on his jacket. To Allen, it all looked like this was happening too fast. They were barely prepared for this, and Chiron asks them to leave at the crack of dawn.

"It must be that important then?" Allen asked, looking quizzical.

_You have no idea... _Chiron thought. Just having Hermes come to Camp Half-Blood is enough to raise multiple stress levels...

"Okay, Chiron! I'll bring this person back to camp as soon as possible," Allen said. It looked as though he was trying to look serious, but Chiron couldn't help but detect a small note of enthusiasm in his voice. "But what will happen then?"

"That," Hermes said quickly, "is only for the gods to decide later. Now go, son of Apollo; you will have a rough journey ahead of you."

"I won't fail, sir," Allen said as he made a salute to Hermes, "Well, you can't really fail in these kinds of situations, can you?" Hermes just looked at him directly, sweat appearing on his brow.

"Don't jinx it."

"Oh... right." The young demigod quickly sprinted out the door. Chiron and Hermes were left alone. Chiron turned and fixed his eyes on the messenger of the gods.

"What will you do with the child, Hermes?" the centaur asked. Hermes sighed as he looked out the window, into the moonlight. Another sound of thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance.

"It was said that, when someone comes along with powers greater than the gods, things will go very, very wrong," Hermes said. "As soon as the heir is brought back to Camp Half-Blood, Chiron, the gods demanded that they..." Hermes trailed off, looking at Chiron's raised eyebrows.

"Kill the heir."


	2. Chapter 2: To Meet a Monster, Not Fun

**Tada! Here is chapter two! I hope you guys like it!**

**Now that I've said this...**

**I would actually like to take a vote on this story.**

**Should this be discontinued? or do you think that I should keep writing?**

**Please input and review :]**

**-Olo Eopia03**

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Chapter 2: To Meet a Monster... Not Fun

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_I couldn't see anything through the chilling darkness that was ubiquitous to my surroundings. The silence that hung in the air was unbearable; it became a dead silence that only twisted one's soul into fear and dread. A soul, perhaps especially, my soul_

"_They found her . . ." a voice rasped quietly, trailing off into the distance. Where was that voice coming from? I cannot discern anything in front of me, yet- "Hurry. Master, Master . . . We must go-"_

"_Silence!" hissed out another voice. It was a deep and icy voice, a knife scraping painfully against metal. "Just wait, you fool, the time will come . . . when she will come to us!" the dark voice cackled, piercing agonizingly through the concealment of the shadows. His voice . . . I hate it; and the ominous tone just brings chills down my spine._

"_Y-yes M-m-master." the weaker voice whimpered._

_I can see light now. No, They're two bright glowing eyes, glaring evilly, straight at . . . me. What is this? This has to be a dream. It has t-_

"_You, naughty child," the deep voice whispered, sniggering softly. "I will find you soon. Come . . . come to me!" His voice cackled evilly, the sound becoming an excruciating sound that screeched in my ears. No . . ._

"No!" Kalley screamed and lurched out of the couch, causing her to tumble off her makeshift bed. She lay there on the hard floor, staring at the dusty ceiling as she ran through the events that played during that horrifying nightmare. Cold sweat matted her forehead as her heart pulsed rapidly. Kalley then slowly shut her eyes. Just a dream . . .

Wearily, Kalley stood up and surveyed the surroundings in the living room she lived in. Well, waking up and seeing this every morning, let me tell you, is not really enjoyable compared to looking at most houses. _I've lived here for 14 years, and I still haven't run away?_ She thought miserably.

The couch sagged on the creaky wooden floor, with one of its legs fallen off, probably still lying near one of the many mice holes in the lousy apartment. In front of Kalley, she could see the small television busted on the floor after falling off the fractured coffee table. Next to it on the floor was a small gray bag that she picked up a few years ago after an old woman had dropped it. Other than a few coins in it and some pills (that Kalley had immediately disposed of), it looked like Kalley needed it more than she did. Faded paint continued to peel off the walls, its corners infested with spiders, cobwebs, and nasty termites. Yes, what a wonderful world.

_If I lived here by myself, _Kalley thought, _I could make a better living and leave this place just to come back here and laugh at it. _Ah, what a safe place this would be . . .

A breaking of glass against the wall, followed by a yell sounded in the bedroom upstairs.

Still a safe place?

Nope!

Pierce Miller. Kalley's wretched uncle who loves to spend anything just for the love of smoking and the occasional drink. _I really hate this guy_, Kalley thought bitterly.

Another smash, and a burly man came lumbering out the room. He slumped down against the wall. _Looks like he got extra drunk today, _Kalley thought.

His sloppy appearance, shaggy facial hair, bloodshot eyes, and yellow rotting teeth were enough to make Kalley sick. Sometimes, she would think that he acted more like a pig rather than a man. This was who she had to work for, to work for enough money for herself only to have her stash (which wasn't much) snatched away from her. And what did this guy spend all that money on? Just the foul conditions of the apartment was enough to provide Kalley with an answer. Kalley looked back at the man and gave a look of disgust. The thing was, she wouldn't run away. Not yet anyways . . .

Before Miller could show any signs of stirring, Kalley quickly grabbed her gray pouch and fled out the door of the apartment. Judging by the warm sunlight, cool breezes, and the position of the sun, Kalley concluded that it was sometime near mid afternoon. She took a deep breath of fresh air and began to walk towards the bakery. That's where she usually went to earn her money, and occasionally, some bread. _And when I come back, Mr. Pig Head is just going to take everything away, _Kalley thought miserably. _But why do I still stay here then?_

_My mother is dead. Or, she just abandoned me after that day . . . but . . . Piggy there will be the only way I find out what happened to her, _Kalley sighed as she sadly pushed that thought away from her mind.

It just so mysteriously happened that just as Kalley had turned around six, her mother never came back home. Kalley was then found by the police and put into her uncle's care. Alone. _At least I've seen her before, but she never told me about my dad . . . _Kalley had no dad ever since birth. It was because of this that she always felt so angry for being left behind in that stupid apartment. _I will find you,_ Kalley promised to herself as she looked at the sky. _If you won't come back, then I will find _both_ of you._

Opening the door with a sign above that indicated _Dory's Bakery_, Kalley stepped in and could smell the aroma of fresh baked bread in the air. Looking around, she saw that everything was still the same. The cream colored walls and the natural sunlight that shone through the glass windows still had its bright appearance. She remembered on cold winters (even though it didn't snow here in the city of San Diego) pressing her nose against the warm glass and looking at the shelves full of fresh bread, just waiting to be bought. A few months after that, Kalley finally asked Miss Dorothy, the kind hearted store owner, if she could help around and earn some money. Gladly, the woman accepted and here Kalley made her way of survival without the support of Pierce. She gave a sigh of relief as all those bad feelings that were usually in her mind melt away when a new warmth spread through her.

"Ready to make some bread, Kal?" a woman's voice cried out from the small kitchen at the far end of the room. Kalley smiled when she saw the woman came out, revealing her flour-smudged face, light brown curly hair, rosy cheeks, and tender smile, the paragon of a sweet and generous woman. Today, Miss Dorothy wore a white apron over her red shirt and faded jeans, along with the occasional winter boots that she always wore.

"What are you talking about, Dory?" Kalley grinned, "Aren't I always ready?" After putting on an extra apron, they both set to work: mixing, kneading, padding, rolling, and baking. After the last loaf of bread was placed into storage, the two of them cleaned up, prepared to head home. Kalley was given eight hot buns that were placed carefully in her bag. Setting a twenty in her hand, Dory asked,

"Kalley, if you don't mind, I need you to do a favor. Is it okay with you if you could go to the grocery store and buy some eggs and flour? The day is almost done." Kalley looked up in gratitude and eagerly agreed to perform the errand.

The store that she jogged into was still crowded with people, no matter how late it was. Luckily, no one took notice of Kalley as she made her way down the aisle of goods and looked around expectantly for any free food. _Ah, no free samples today, I guess,_ Walking past the fruit section that was on the right, she arrived near the very back of the grocery store, where all the refrigerated items were kept. _Hmmm, yogurt, juice, butter, whip cream . . . oh there,_ Kalley spotted and took the carton of eggs from the highest shelf.

After this, she could spend her dinner outside in the park while eating her large stock of delicious bread. Imagining her life without a job at the bakery, or bread, would truthfully be a total disaster. This, Kalley thought about as she went to the section that stored the different types of flour.

Suddenly, Kalley felt herself being shoved roughly from behind, sending her stumbling and crashing into a nearby shelf. The eggs dropped out of her hand and made a huge mess on the floor. Little children were curiously pointing at her and complaining to their parents as they looked sternly back at Kalley. Flustered and a little stunned, she quickly jumped to her feet, but was immediately met with the one who had pushed her. Oh dear, was she in trouble. If her mouth hadn't dropped open, she would've quickly said sorry and would be on her way right now. If she hadn't even gone to the grocery store, she might've not even gotten into such a disastrous situation. If she hadn't . . .

Oh well.

The man in front of her was . . . how should we put it? Huge, enormous, giant, colossal, six feet tall, monstrous. But none of those words came to Kalley's mind. Only one name could fit that _thing_ she was seeing in front of her right now.

_Cyclops._

Cloaked in a pure black trench coat, with men's motorcycle boots with a size of twenty-seven (or was it twenty-eight?) that clunked heavily on the floor, the monster towered menacingly over Kalley. His grimy face showed its heinous features while the single protuberant eye glinted evilly under his bushy uni-brow and black top hat that rested on his head. _Um, okay... _Kalley thought, slightly panicking, _what to do . . . I think it's best if I just politely leave . . . like now._

Instantly, Kalley made a run for it, knocking off goods like bags of chips, jars of peanut butter and salsa, fruits, loafs of bread, boxes of cereal, and anything that could impede that one-eyed man from pursuing her. People were shouting across the halls in English and in Spanish, both cursing out at the girl that dashed down the aisles.

Successfully, Kalley made it out of the grocery store and blocked the automatic sliding doors by slamming several carts into it. As she slowly turned her run into a jog, she quickly thought of getting home as fast as possible, when she accidentally bumped into someone . . . again.

One Cyclops was enough to give Kalley a heart attack. Luckily (yet unfortunately), she had run into a policeman. His face glanced at the doors of the grocery store and looked back at Kalley, who looked back at him with dismay. "My, young lady. What on Earth did you do? Name's Officer Morrison to you," the officer said.

"Um, sir, I didn't mean to do any of this, but I'm kind of in a hurry right now," Kalley muttered impatiently. Was that a big bulky shape that's slowly plundering toward the door? Coming so close . . .

Kalley backed away a couple of steps. Immediately, she was seized by the arm with the firm hands of Officer Morrison. "Come here with me, Missy. I believe you are going to be in _a lot _of trouble." He answered back, a frown forming on his face.

_No, let _go_ of me . . . now,_ Kalley thought as she forcefully broke away from the hands of the officer. Her eyes glowered ferociously at the man. Just as he tried to grab her again, something strange happened.

It was like everything slowed down. Kalley looked around and saw people walking in the slowest pace she could possibly imagine. They were almost frozen on the spot. The Cyclops was still at the entrance, his silhouette slowly getting bigger and nearer. Officer Morrison was leaning toward her, one foot in mid-air, with an arm extended toward her. Shocked, Kalley herself staggered backwards, looking into the confused eyes of the officer. Then, as quick as it had come, everything turned to normal once again. Kalley saw Officer Morrison collapse, coughing on the ground, obviously paralyzed over what had just happened. Aghast, Kalley continued to run away from the officer, and the grocery store getting farther and farther away from her. _What's happening to me? Did I do that?_ the thoughts quickly raced through Kalley's panicked mind.

Slowing down to a walk, Kalley slipped quietly into a dark and dingy alley. she rested her back against the wall, breathing heavily. _No one here except a couple of trashcans,_ she thought in relief. Kalley closed her eyes and rubbed the sides of her head, repeating the words _only hallucinating, don't worry,_ multiple times in her head. Sweat covered her forehead, but Kalley held her brown jacket close to her as a chilly breeze swept past her. Taking a deep breath, she silently walked out of the alley, but was met suddenly with one . . . glowing . . . eye.

Before she could cry out, her chest was met with the swift but hard kick of the boot of the horrid Cyclops. Kalley flew into the air, and crashed into the collection of trashcans behind her. Slowly, the giant came toward her as she coughed and gasped painfully for air.

"It's okay, little one. Come closer," the monster said with a snicker. His voice sounded awfully like Officer Morrison's... Even while slightly dazed, she managed to dodged to the right as the Cyclops tried to reach down and snatch her. Staggering to her feet, Kalley looked around in fright, trying to think of something to hit him with.

_Um, okay. In a life or death situation here. Weak point? _Kalley glanced back at the Cyclops as he strode towards her. His eye twinkled wretchedly, matching the evil grin on his face quite nicely. _His eye._

In vain, Kalley tried to dodge again one last time, hoping to arm herself with a trashcan lid that laid behind the Cyclops. Too slow. The giant took hold of her foot and hoisted her up, leaving her almost hanging upside down in mid-air. Kalley clawed at the ground, clutching at a handful of dust. She gasped as she saw that she was at head level with him, looking at dreadful and bloodshot red eye. Then a determined glint came back into Kalley's own eyes, replacing the fear that rested in them. With one swift movement, she quickly threw her hand into his face, releasing a spray of dust that stung his eye. Stumbling backward, he dropped Kalley. She hit the floor with a soft thud. The Cyclops then went into a great deal of swearing and execration as he rubbed viciously at his dirty face with his huge meaty hands. In an instant, Kalley jumped up at sprinted as fast as she could out of the alley.

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**Remember to review :] and vote x]**

**I would really like your input.**

**Thanks**

**-Olo Eopia03**


	3. Chapter 3: He's Worse Than A Cyclops

**sorry you guys... I was already done with the chapter, but my account wouldnt let me post anything for 2 weeks...however, I do not think this chapter is as smooth, due to the little amount of time spent to correct this chapter o.o so... I'm sorry xP**

**so...I finallyyy present to u...chapter 3 xP**

**btw...chapter four might come on between next week or the week after...but who knows...i might be wrong :P**

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Chapter 3: He's Worse Than a Cyclops

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Kalley noted the moon that shone luridly in the dark sky. It glared down at her like a spot light that was focused on her alone. Was she being watched?

A twig snapped nearby and a rush of fear swept through Kalley. She picked up her pace, still hearing the string of swears and curses that soon faded behind her. Kalley shivered as a breeze passed by, and clutched her brown jacket tightly to her chest. She winced in discomfort, finally feeling the throbbing pain where the Cyclops had kicked her. The ends of her pants were torn and dirty; her jacket was covered in dust, small twigs, and soil.

She looked like a ragged and homeless child who was desperately running away from something. Wait. Looked like? She _was_ that kind of child.

Kalley could feel her shoulders, arms, and back ache from crashing into those trashcans. The streets were empty and silent.

She was alone.

Kalley almost wanted to stop and lean against the wall to think things through, but she knew she couldn't do that. She shouldn't.

_Not a great time to hyperventilate here,_ she thought as she finally slowed to a walk. That Cyclops . . . it was the first time in her life that she had ever encountered one. Is this really planet Earth? Or did Earth really contain all these horrors that she finally knew about?

But on the bright side, her bag was intact, she didn't break any bones, and she was almost home.

Home, eh?

At last, Kalley arrived at the front door of the apartment she lived in and sighed. _There and back again...wait, that phrase sounds familiar, _she thought.

Coming back here seemed a lot less intimidating then what happened previously. Who knows, maybe even Pierce is asleep again.

As she entered, she closed the door as quietly as possible.

Too late.

Just as it closed, it made a loud creak that sounded through the whole room. Right away, a bellow came from farther into the hallway.

"HOW. DARE. YOU!"

_Good evening to you too, Pig Head. _Kalley thought silently,_ Had a nice sleep?_

Pierce barged out into view; his shaggy hair looking messier than before, if that was even possible. Outraged, he stomped toward Kalley in a few steps and shook a wrinkled piece of paper violently in front of her face.

_What did I do now? _Kalley thought desperately, seeing that the man usually wasn't in such an angry state before.

"What . . . the _hell _is the meaning of this?" He growled. Kalley could hear him breathing harder and see his face getting redder, and redder. It looked like soon he would blow up.

_Damn, I think I can see why, _Kalley thought.

In his hand, was . . .a fine.

_Uh oh._

"Today, a police officer, came up to my door. You know what he said?" He fumed.

Suddenly, he grabbed Kalley by the collar of her sweatshirt and pushed her roughly against the wall.

"FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS, FOR WRECKING A DAMNED GROCERY STORE!" Pierce roared in front of her face. She could feel the hot breath of tobacco coming from him as she desperately tried to free herself from Pierce's grip. "AND FIFTY MORE FOR PUNCHING ANOTHER POLICE OFFICER WHO TRIED TO STOP YOU!"

_What? _Kalley thought, her eyes widening in surprise.

Kalley never punch him. Didn't he just . . . freeze? She ran through her memories about punching Officer Morrison.

Nothing.

"It wasn't my fault!" She insisted, forcefully succeeding to pull away from his grasp. "I swear, there was a Cyclops that chased me out the store!"

The slap came hard, anyway. Kalley grimaced in pain as her eyes began to water. She looked back at Pierce, who was at least two heads taller than her. He was getting redder now. His eyes looked more protuberant, full of pure hatred.

"A _Cyclops?" _Pierce managed to choke out. Then, he grinned. "How _stupid _do you think I am? You just sometimes _love_ to worm your way out of this, do you? You little rascal . . . You're just like your mother."

Kalley's eyes narrowed. "_What did you say?_"

Pierce let out a soft snigger.

"Yeah, you heard me. She was such a bi-"

Before he could finish, Kalley charged angrily at the big man. But before she could land a single blow, Pierce grabbed her arm and twisted it violently. Kalley cried out as he slammed her again into the wall.

Pierce smiled evilly as she staggered painfully to her feet, knocking down a lamp in the process, and managed stand back up shakily.

"By the way, you can forget about your poor little mommy. She's dead." Kalley froze. She looked at him. There was no sign of falseness in his expression. Just madness. "She loved you," he said, a disgusted settling on his face. "she was just a poor little lady who married me in order to help support you. It was always _Kalley-this _and _Kalley-that._ Do you know how . . . much . . . I had to spend for you and that woman?" Kalley could hear Pierce's teeth grinding, his breathing get harder.

_Ah, So this is why he keeps getting my money, _Kalley thought.

"HUNDREDS!" he thundered, kicking a small table that lay next to him. "Then she suddenly gets _murdered_ by some other stupid guy_,_" his face was flushed in anger. "And you know what?" he added, his voice sounding hysterically mad as he grinned crazily. "_You _caused it all! _You _murdered your own mother!"

Kalley's eyes widened in terror. _Murder? Me?_ She thought.

"I don't underst-"

"Look, kid. I know all about your crazy gods and two-headed, one-eyed creatures and who the hell knows what else. Even if you're the daughter of some god and have stupid powers, I ain't gonna give a crap about it! You hear me?" He grabbed the wine bottle that had rested on the floor and threw it at Kalley. She yelped and slipped quickly out of the way. She heard a deafening crash. Bits and pieces of glass sprayed everywhere.

Kalley saw Pierce, who was at least seven feet away, look wildly back at her, his eyes bulging out. He let out a wicked cackle.

_Now he's seriously gone nuts . . ._ Kalley thought.

He walked slowly toward her, one hand behind his back.

Kalley didn't see the hand that reached silently into his back pocket.

She didn't see him take out the small pocket knife that opened up with a _click_.

"It's time you paid for it now," he whispered, now only five feet from where she was standing.

Kalley backed up against the wall next to the door. _This is bad...he's going to kill me. Someone...help me, _Kalley thought. She wanted to wipe off that sneer that still showed on the man's face.

He bellowed out something inaudible as he threw out the knife, letting it fly with great precision towards Kalley's throat. She gasped out in fright. Suddenly, she felt a sensation tingling in her hands.

She closed her eyes, tight. _No . . . Stop. Now, _She thought.

_Aw man, not again, _Kalley thought after she finally opened her eyes.

The knife was directly right in front of her nose. Frozen. Like all the air particles surrounding it had miraculously slowed it down.

_Did I do this? _Kalley asked herself.

She looked at Pierce, and could see his mouth hanging open slightly with a dumb expression on his face. His eyes narrowed in anger as he slowly clenched his jaw tightly. Then, with only a few steps to take, he lunged and made a grab for her neck. He didn't even care about the knife that was suspended in mid-air. But again, as he started to perform his attack, it happened like time seemed to slow down.

Slowly, calmly, Kalley grasped the knife gently with one hand and turned it in the opposite direction, towards Pierce.

She didn't know what she was doing. Kalley thought of her dead mother. The one who was said to be killed by her own daughter. Pierce was lying.

_He doesn't know who I am._ _I would remember if something happened like that._ _Ugh, so angry . . . _Kalley thought. She looked at the man with loathing and hatred. _You didn't help her._ Abruptly, she felt a sharp pain in her head that penetrated through her mind. Senseless to the colors, sounds, and anything else around her, she thought, _Continue._

The pain continued to grow intensely as the knife whizzed toward Pierce, faster than before. Instantly, the man jerked slightly, and slowly, he looked down toward his chest. His shirt was clotted with blood.

Straight out from the center of his chest was the knife that he meant to use to kill Kalley. Instead, the blade had attacked its very own wielder. Pierce collapsed and fell flat on the floor, gasping heavily for air and clutching his chest.

Kalley saw Pierce there, lying helplessly on the ground. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Taking forceful steps, she walked toward where she can he see face clearly. Her heart was beating rapidly.

The man's face was pale, those wild eyes boring into her face. Then, the corners of his mouth suddenly formed into a grin. He choked out his final words in a raspy voice,

"Everyone will die because of you..."

Kalley staggered backward, looking around in terror. _He's dying...I killed him, _Kalley thought. She stared at his eyes once more, seeing the life dwindle gradually in them.

_Why? I didn't mean to!_

_I need to get out of here, _She thought desperately. Feeling slightly exhausted and nauseous, she stumbled out the door of the house, leaving the wounded man behind. As she ran across the street in the dark, it started to rain. Hard. Her chest hurt, her head felt like it wanted to explode, and her arm throbbed painfully. Thunder crashed in the sky as she reached a small alley.

No shelter.

_I don't know where to go now. _Kalley thought, fighting back the multiple tears that were rolling down her cheeks._ I'm alone . . . alone . . . _

Unexpectedly, Kalley felt her foot slip as it caught on a wide crack in the asphalt. Hitting hands first on the ground, she shivered as she felt the cold rain continue to pound against her back. _I can't do this anymore . . . _Kalley thought. Dragging herself weakly towards the wall, she leaned her back against it and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them. Wrapping her arms slowly around her legs, she began to sob into the wet sleeve of her jacket. More thunder crashed in the sky. The alley and streets around her were deserted as she remained curled up at the base of the wall.

_I'm a murderer._


	4. Chapter 4: Taken

**Ahah :] so it only took me a day or two to write this, but I guess I was too lazy to try to edit and post it :] well, here it is ^^**

**Let me know what you guys think and review please :D**

**Let's just get on with it... XD**

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Chapter 4: Taken

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The two Pegasi landed gently and silently on the ground in front of the woods that stood mysteriously around them. The first rider who got off the saddle, a boy wearing an emerald-colored jacket, fingered the bow that was strapped across his back along with a sheath of different colored arrows.

He felt that he might be needing it soon, but for whatever reason it was, he did not have the slightest clue.

He looked over to the smaller girl, who was stroking the winged-horse's mane. "We're here now, Elli. San Diego." the boy said. He unstrapped the bow, holding it loosely in his left hand. His right hand rested securely over his jeans pocket. He patted it softly, then sighed, waiting.

Sometimes that girl really loved to take her time with these creatures.

Elli lightly stepped off the Pegasus, murmuring, "You both head on back now to New York." She turned to the brown one the boy had been riding on, "Cashew, don't worry about us. We can head back ourselves. It was too much to bring a third Pegasus with us." The horse nodded, as if understanding the girl.

With a neigh, the winged-horse sped off, its companion following swiftly behind it. The boy walked over to her.

"We need to head to a store to get new clothes in case something happens," he said, "Got the bag?"

The girl looked slightly offended, but then smiled brightly in return.

"What are you talking about, Allen? Of course I do!" she took out a small black stone in her back pocket and tossed it to him.

In mid-air, it transformed quickly into a nice orange messenger bag. Catching it, Allen perfunctorily rummaged through its contents, and then closed it again. The pack once again transformed into the same round pebble as before.

Putting it into his own back pocket, the boy walked pass the girl quickly, so that she had to jog lightly to catch up. "Don't be so impatient, Allen, we'll find whoever the gods are looking for. It can't be _that _hard bringing that person back."

"I hope you're right, Elli."

**{xxx}**

The girl huddled against the wall tiredly lifted her head off her arms, which had been wrapped around her knees. Her long, auburn hair sparkled with droplets that had still been there the whole night. Her jacket, pants, and socks were just as soaked. Shivering violently, Kalley stiffly got up and rubbed her blurry eyes, and walked for a little.

The weather seemed just right today. The wind was starting to pick up, turning into a brilliant, warm breeze. The water on the cement was just beginning to dry up and the sun was just starting to blossom out of the clouds, creating nice tint of purple shade that painted the sky.

Yawning, she looked at the brick buildings and houses that lined the sidewalk.

Kalley just realized that she'd been living in a dirty neighborhood for as long as she could remember. There was graffiti everywhere. The numerous clumps of chewing gum that had been stuck on the ground and walls were already black and rock hard. Sometimes, if you were very unlucky, you could bump into dangerous gangs that you wouldn't want to mess with, especially when they're drunk.

Not only was the sidewalk lined with buildings and houses, but every few meters or so you would be able to find a drug store or a liquor shop. A bar over here. A small nightclub over there. It was a wonder how Kalley had only been drawn to the bakery rather than taking a few drinks like Pierce had always done.

No cars on the street yet. _Must be around 5:30, _Kalley thought.

Kalley sneezed from the cold, and broke into a nice jog around the neighborhood. Staying all night under the rain can be awfully bad for you. She tried to act normally, not getting herself noticed by any other people wandering by. Sneezing again, she pulled her hood over her head and breathed into her hands to gain a bit of warmth. _Can't get sick, _she thought, thinking that she might need to buy a new set of clothes.

Good thing she didn't spend that twenty dollar bill that Dory had given her yet. She might even have a few dollars still lying around in the pack. But will that be enough? Kalley really wished she had somewhere to store her old clothes so that she could use them again in the future. In addition to the amount of exercising she was performing, moving around would really help . . . It'd be harder for the police to catch you . . .

When Kalley jogged passed the apartment, she didn't even glance back to see what was going on in there, even though it was hard to act heedless after just experiencing what terrible act she'd committed in one day. It reminded her again of the fear that had filled her whole mind as she remembered the fierce and wild gaze that the man had pierced her with. Is he still alive? Kalley could still see the knife that had been flung at her right before her eyes . . . How fast it zoomed right into her face, how she thankfully spotted it in time . . . And the power she felt when it stopped in mid-air.

There were still some questions that needed to be answered.

Glancing back at the apartment for just a moment, Kalley realized to her relief that there wasn't a crowd yet, nor was it surrounded by police cars and yellow caution tape. They haven't found out yet.

_Well, it'll be best if it stayed that way. _Kalley thought.

Gradually slowing down to a walk, she started to stroll pass the buildings, thinking that it's safe to stop jogging around. Especially away from that area. She sighed in disappointment as she sneezed again; she was still feeling a chill run through her bones. Walking toward the direction of the supermarket, Kalley rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them as quickly as she could. Suddenly she felt a deep pang of hunger in her stomach. It's been a while since she'd last eaten . . . Yesterday afternoon?

Carefully, Kalley reached into her gray sling bag, taking out one tasty looking bun from the pocket. Munching quietly on it, she thought that maybe she should pass by the bakery today to help out a bit, earn some money so she could actually live by herself now.

_I can manage to do that now everyday; I'll just live as normally as I can, _Kalley thought.

To imagine why Kalley would actually think that way after what happened the day before, even _I_ do not know the reason to that. After being chased by a one-eyed ugly giant, attacked by a man who tries to murder you, and managing to stay overnight under the cold, wet rain; those things were _nothing_ close to how you can think of living a normal life afterward.

Finally reaching the nearest store that looked safe enough to enter, Kalley managed to dig out a total of thirty-three dollars from her backpack. _Well look at that. These bills might actually help me,_ She thought, slowly relaxing as she strolled through the automatic doors of the shop.

It was a typical type of store that anyone would enter. Gray carpeting, plastered walls, shelves with the necessary contents such as food, snacks, candy, supplies, toiletries, drinks, make-up, medicine, and second-hand items were set horizontally to form isles for people to walk through, a small pharmacy at the very back of the store, and two tiny clothes racks that seemed to hold sweaters, jackets, jeans, T-shirts, tops, cardigans, blouses, socks, hats, and sneakers at the bottom.

There were only a few people in the old store; maybe due to the dull and gray appearance that the store had. Not minding anyone else, Kalley walked toward the nearest clothes rack and picked out a new set of clothing for herself. As she carefully picked her items, she looked over to the other clothes rack, and saw two children looking at a yellow shirt. The boy, looking to be around her age, held the shirt up to the much younger girl, who seemed to nodding even though the shirt seemed to be almost twice her size.

"Yeah, I think it'll fit them just fine, Allen. They should be at least older than _me_ by now, don't you think? Can I go get some water? I'm really thirsty."

"Not yet, Elli! We still need to pick out a pair of jeans in case their own get worn out." Ignoring the little girl's whiny complaints, the boy threw the shirt on her head and turned around to pick out a pair of jeans. After pulling off the shirt, the girl asked,

"Do you think we'll be able to find them?"

"Why _them_, Elli? There's only one heir."

"I know. But it's annoying when you don't know if they're a boy or a girl," Elli insisted. "So I'm calling them a _they _so it'll be easier_._ It's actually a smart idea!"

Suddenly, something caught the girl's eye as she jumped up excitedly, and she raced toward the isle in the opposite direction, calling out to the boy that she finally found a nice water bottle to fill up with (and it didn't look that expensive either). Before the boy could catch her by the arm, she had already run off to reach a yellow water bottle from the highest shelf.

Seeing the girl continue to tiptoe and jump up to try and grab the container, the boy sighed, then turned back and bundled the clothes up together.

_Those kids are weird... _Kalley thought, feeling very amused by them.

Then, she stared for just an instant, but that was enough. The boy had a bow and a sheathe of arrows tied to his back. What were those objects doing there? This is today we're talking about, and Kalley see's a guy with bow and arrows?

Finally thinking reasonably, Kalley thought there must've been a new archery class somewhere, or the boy had just bought them and bothered to flaunt them around.

Seeing him turn around, she caught his eye. The boy raised his eyebrows with a cautious look on his face; he had the strange expression that he wanted to ask her who she was. Quickly averting her gaze, Kalley turned back and collected the clothes she needed. She didn't mean to be so nosy. She had only caught a glimpse of them and had returned to check her money, listening to the conversation that took place.

_Whoever those two are looking for, I hope they find _them, Kalley thought.

As she headed to the counter to purchase her clothes, she turned around and she saw the boy again, this time accompanied by the little girl, who was holding a clear, yellow water bottle.

Again, he looked back at her. That strange eye contact again . . . But before he could speak or run after her, the cashier manager had just finished counting the money Kalley had given her and Kalley walked quickly out the door, not looking back again at the two children behind her.

After changing in the restroom of another store, Kalley came out, finally feeling dryer in her new clothes- a dark blue blouse, a pair of jeans, new socks, and a maroon colored jacket on top. She was so glad and lucky that they had cost $_32.43, _which included tax. Kalley folded her old clothes into a nice and neat bundle and placed it on top of a trashcan in an alleyway. Someone might actually need it more than her.

As Kalley, feeling rather absent-minded, walked pass a liquor bar, she heard crashes of glass and yells from inside.

Immediately, it sent memories of Pierce back to her. Him taking her money, bossing her around, throwing empty beer bottles at her (and thankfully missing her very narrowly every time), and cursing and shouting very mean insults at her face.

Ah, The good old times . . .

Then she remembered what happened just last night. What had he told her? Kalley still remembered the words so vividly in her mind.

'You_ caused it all! _You _murdered your own mother!'_

How could she? Trying as hard as she could, Kalley still couldn't remember what she had done. Murdering her own mother seemed insane . . . Did her father murder her? _Did I really do it?_ Kalley thought. She never remembered holding any sort of weapon that could be wielded against her own mom. She didn't even hear any cry of pain or a scream in her mind. Maybe her mother was still out there, or maybe she was really dead. Kalley didn't want to believe Pierce. That man was just a stupid guy who loved to lie to her. He might've even been drunk when he told her. Kalley shook her head, only feeling more confused as she tried to figure out what was really happening to herself.

But there was something else that he had said . . . What was it? It really shocked her. It was the only time when she felt lost and genuinely confused. That pig head actually knew something about her. Something that made her . . . for some reason . . . feel . . . different.

Then, she remembered.

'_I know all about your crazy gods and two-headed, one-eyed creatures and who the hell knows what else. Even if you're the daughter of some god and have stupid powers . . .'_

That was all she needed to hear to make her mind whirl. She knew Pierce could tell a lot of lies, but this one was way too creative for his imagination. Sometimes being drunk actually made things slip out of your mouth, too. Crazy gods? _If they're really out there, they're certainly not helping me at all, _Kalley thought. Kalley couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. There couldn't be such thing as this. Not at all. But what about that Cyclops? _Darn, If he's right . . ._

Could this explain who her father was? Maybe he left her and her mom for a reason. Sometimes, Kalley really hated her parents. What kind of mother and father were they, leaving their own child out here? Maybe they really didn't care about her. She always had to do things by herself, solve her own problems, make her own money, teach herself to do _anything_, practically.

She was always so . . . alone . . .

_Who cares,_ Kalley thought bitterly. She didn't _them_ to survive. It'd be better if they really _were_ dead. Anger and sadness flared up in Kalley as she wiped her face with her sleeve.

Abruptly, Kalley accidentally bumped into someone. How long had she been daydreaming?

Stepping back, she saw six huge, burly teenagers, all wearing ripped up baggy pants and huge, expensive looking jackets, they're hands in they're pockets. They're hoods were up, so she couldn't see they're faces. Each of them looked as though they had taken a couple of drinks, by the look of they're jerky movement. Something looked . . . just wrong about the way they moved. They're hands weren't seen in they're sleeves, and it looked like they're legs were extremely short, not fitting they're size proportions. They almost didn't look _human._

Muttering an apology, Kalley tried to push pass them and go on her way, but the biggest one shoved her so roughly that she had to take more steps backward to regain her balance. Feeling suddenly angry and impatient, she pushed him back and asked fiercely,

"What's your problem? I'm just trying to mind my own business!" Pushing the largest one back as hard as she could, Kalley saw his hood fall back.

She wished she hadn't done that.

_What the . . . What is that? _She thought, the fear suddenly bubbling up in her chest.

Kalley was too scared and disgusted to even think straight.

Instead of a young man's head, which was clearly what she had expected, it was that of a huge, ugly, bronze metal bird. Its vermilion red eyes glared back at her in a wicked expression. Its brown feathers lined the top of its head like a small Mohawk and its pale face stared straight into Kalley's eyes. The bird squawked clamorously, making Kalley jump up in fright. _I really wish I could face a real gang instead now . . . _She thought.

Looking around at the rest, it looked just the same: Huge, bronze beaks poking out from under they're hoods.

Panicking, Kalley bolted past the huge gang of birds. Looking back, she saw each of them burst out of their jackets and rip through their jeans. Soon, she saw six pairs of huge wings flap around freely. Metal feathers covered their bodies, and their claws looked like they would cut through your skin even if you just touched them very lightly. The birds screeched violently as they flew toward her.

Kalley felt as though she wanted to faint. Trying to bring her legs to run faster, she dashed past alleyways, buildings, and streets, pushing people out of the way as the birds continued to fly toward her.

They were, very slowly, gaining on her. Why was she still trying to run? They could probably fly like this all day. Kalley felt so helpless, thinking that if she turned back to find something to throw at them, they would finally catch up onto her. Finally, she reached a barbed wire fence that stood in front of numerous, tall, and green trees. Spotting a gate, she quickly rushed toward it, not caring about the huge _warning_ sign that had been posted on there.

Yanking it open, Kalley ran for what seemed like ages through the trees and hid behind the many bushes, gasping for breath.

Good thing she even cared to close the gate. It looked as though the birds had nearly knocked into it, giving her enough time to hide. Peering through the leaves, she saw the birds come into view. Holding her breath, she saw them pause for a moment, the birds looking at each other in mid-air.

Kalley was so scared that they might find her. It felt like the only thing she could hear was her loud heartbeat.

The biggest one shrieked out a call to the other birds, and the six of them separated, each scrutinizing everything around them as they flew into the trees behind her. Slowly, the squawks and screeches faded away, and Kalley was finally able to breathe again.

Shakily getting up, Kalley looked around, taking in her surroundings and making sure she wasn't being watched. The trees around her looked like a vast army that stood in an overwhelming formation. From time to time she heard small skirmishes that usually (and hopefully) came from squirrels, rabbits, birds, or other small creatures. It was already late noon. _Maybe around 2:30 . . ._ Kalley thought. As she picked her way through the scratchy shrubs, she tried to remember which way she had taken to come here so she could retrace her steps. Kalley hadn't been paying attention to where she was going; she only wanted to get away from those dreaded birds. _At least they're gone now,_ She thought. Taking a right turn, she continued to make her way through the bushes.

Then, something horrifying turned up right in front of her as she made a sharp turn around a tree.

The big bird flapped its way toward Kalley as she stumbled back into the undergrowth. Kalley wanted to scream. Turning around as fast as she could, she ran forward until she reached a wide clearing but was, again, surrounded by more trees.

She needed to get out of here.

But to where would each path lead her?

Only a second of thinking gave her the biggest disadvantage as the bird closed the distance between itself and Kalley. Before she could reach the other side of the vast space around her, Kalley felt herself being blown off her feet. The bird had come up behind her and rammed its body into her own, which sent her flying straight into the trunk of a tree.

Feeling slightly stunned and dazed, Kalley looked up, and saw just in time the huge bird coming down at her a second time, revealing its sharp and powerful talons. Rolling out of the way, she missed the huge claws by just millimeters as she desperately grabbed a rock from the ground and flung it straight at the bird.

It didn't even distract the bird, so much as bounced off from its body harmlessly. Standing up, she looked around again for another rock, a stick. Anything.

Again, the bird lunged toward Kalley, and this time, something new happened. As its wings spread wide open, numerous bronze metal feathers were fired out in all directions.

Kalley cried out in agony and doubled over onto her knees, clutching her shoulder and feeling a throbbing pain in her ankle and right knee. A stinging pain shot through her right arm as she tried to lift herself to stand up. But before she could even get to her feet, she immediately collapsed again right in front of a tree, where she decided to lean her head against. Spots were appearing right before her eyes. She felt the warm blood gushing from the slashes that the bird had just made.

Trying very hard to ignore the pain and nausea that had just invaded into her mind, Kalley looked up and saw the bird glaring at her still with a murderous expression, its body poised in a threatening position for another deadly attack.

Petrified to the spot, along with deep gashes that had been inflicted on her, Kalley had nowhere to go.

_It's no use,_ Kalley thought, struggling to attempt to get up again, only to fail miserably as she fell weakly onto the floor. _I'm going to die here all along. Alone again._

Kalley suddenly felt furious with herself. All her hard work was finally being destroyed by this small, unimportant attack that is taking place. If Kalley died, she might've lived her whole life for . . . nothing. How can she live through everything she had been through, only to be stopped by this?

But just as quick as her anger had come, it instantly vanished, abruptly being replaced by a set of completely different emotions. Fear. Sadness. Kalley finally felt defeated. She thought of Dory, who had been like a mother to her ever since Kalley had taken that job in the bakery. Kalley wondered where she must be right now, hoping that the woman would not get worried by her sudden absence today, and perhaps for the rest of her life.

_She was the closes person I had to a mother,_ Kalley thought quietly as she felt the bird's presence come closer, already one and a half feet away from her.

She looked up one last time at the bird, seeing its beak open up and let out a wretched screech as it came towards her again. She could feel her mind being scattered; her vision started to fade as everything turned into confusing blurs. Any moment now, Kalley could already feel those talons sinking into her chest.

Sooner or later, she'd be dead. Giving up, Kalley closed her eyes, and waited.

An ear piercing scream of an electric guitar shot through the air as a light blue arrow sprouted from the birds chest making explosion noises as it made home. Kalley's eyes snapped open, just in time to see the bird shriek in pain as it exploded into what looked like gold sparkling powder showering over the ground right in front of her. When she tried to lift her head to see who had shot it, her head erupted in pain and Kalley could only rest her head painfully on the tree, not even bothering to see the two people in front of her. She heard familiar voices as she felt her body go numb and her consciousness quickly slipping away.

"... Good thing you used the milder arrow..."

"... Hush... Come help me... These wounds... fatal.."

"...Could she... the one... we-"

"...No...it can't be...Not her..."

Then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5: Stop Running!

**Hi guys :] sorry I haven't been posting :P Testings over though, and I now at least feel compelled enough to write ^^**

***Important: I would kind of like to change the setting here a little. It doesn't affect any previous chapters btw. It is around 75 to 80 years from**

**the current Percy Jackson, however, I would like it just to be a normal setting that doesn't have to concern with Romans or technology.**

**Still only 2 reviews :( Soooo... because of this. I would like to take a vote:**

**- Should this story be discontinued? or should it continue to go on into later chapters?**

**Enjoy:**

* * *

Chapter 5: Stop Running!

* * *

"_They've caught up to her, Master. What of it now?"_

"_Just wait, my pet. It seems that there might be an interference coming very soon," That voice again. It brings chills down my spine. His voice sounded amused, as though finally distracted from long hours full of unrelenting boredom. The air around me, though pitch black, felt powerful, yet suffocating and full of tension._

_As though alerted by something, the iron-scraping voice asked, "Is it almost finished?" It sounded as though he was getting impatient._

"_Oh yes, Master. They are very near to completing it. Soon, you will be ready."_

_After a few moments the atmosphere seemed to relax, though only slightly. "Good. Sit back and watch, my pet. You might learn something."_

_In answer, the smaller voice replied, "Ah, Y-yes Master."_

_The voice emitted a soft laugh. "This is going to get . . . quite interesting . . ."_

Eyes still closed, Kalley could feel the throbbing pain in her shoulder. She could tell she was the only one in the room, and could hear herself breathing; calmly, deeply. Already coming back into consciousness, and she is greeted by this annoying ache. She could feel her head rested against . . . a pillow?

She bolted right out of her bed, and immediately she wished she hadn't. Kalley couldn't stop the cry from escaping her lips. Pain erupted in her right shoulder and instantly she flopped down onto the bed again.

Kalley looked at the new room that she rested in. It looked like quite a comfortable room, with a soft bed that she lay on, a chair next to the wooden nightstand, and even a small television near the front. The walls were painted light peach, giving it a most natural and friendly appearance. There weren't any windows, but there was a bathroom over to the right. Next to the foot of the bed was a small table, with bandages and other first aid tools scattered all over it.

Gently testing her right shoulder, Kalley slowly sat up, thinking.

_Where am I? _She thought.

Scanning the area, Kalley noticed the door near the left corner stood slightly ajar, revealing another room next door. Vaguely, Kalley tried to recall anything that had happened to her in the last few moments. _I . . . I was unconscious . . ._

Kalley felt horrible. She wished she hadn't woken up. Her head ached almost as much as her shoulder, and she didn't know where she was. Even worse, memories of the encounter with the terrifying monster were starting to come back to her.

Who took her in? A twinge of panic filled Kalley's mind. If they knew what she did to Pierce . . . What of the police? They'll take her in if they knew. She can't stand to think of the consequences.

Only one thought ran through Kalley's mind.

_I need to get out of here._

Slowly, Kalley got out from the bed, wincing as she rested her weight on her right leg. After standing up, she was relieved that her stance wasn't being affected by the pain.

As she opened the door that led to the next room, she saw another television, but it was switched on to some channel about the weather. Huge storm coming in tomorrow here in Carson City, Nevada. Oh joy.

_Now I really need to get home. How can I be in a different state? _Kalley thought, the panic rising in her.

Against the wall there was another bed, but smaller than the one she had been sleeping in, with a folded blanket and pillow rested neatly on top. Next to the bed on the ground were two other blue colored blankets spread out on top of each other on the ground along with another pillow, where the TV remote control sat on. On the night stand was a digital clock and a radio positioned next to it playing . . . classical music? Interesting taste there. _One, two . . . Two people here?_

The clock indicated that it was 1:43 in the afternoon. Walking to the window next to the television, Kalley saw that the room she was in was high up, maybe twenty stories or so. Cars were buzzing past by below her, with people flooding the sidewalks. _I'm in a hotel,_ Kalley figured. _How can I be in here in the first place? I really need to get out now . . ._

Not far away from the nightstand, hanging on a hook, were Kalley's bag and her jacket.

Quickly wearing the maroon colored jacket and placing the bag over one shoulder, she made her way out the door and saw a long hallway that broke into two paths, while in front and beside her were doors that were identical to hers, except with different golden numbers placed on them. Left or right? Finally making up her mind, Kalley decided to just take the left. If she got lost she can always retrace her steps and find the right way.

As soon as she made the turn, however, Kalley saw a little girl a meter or so away from her. It was the same little girl she saw at the old store, with the same yellow water bottle in her hand. Her jet black hair that contrasted with her fair skin was tied up in a pair of little pigtails that swished around when she walked toward her. She wore a baby blue colored jacket with an orange shirt underneath, with red checkered Converse shoes and ripped jeans. She looked to be around 11 years old or so. A simple necklace hung around her neck, with a miniature conch shell hanging at the center of a dark colored string.

She was sucking on a fairly huge and colorful lollipop, like the ones you buy at Disneyland that you can never finish.

If she hadn't bothered to look up, the girl would've been perfectly happy in her own little world while licking her sweet lollipop in happiness.

For a second, she didn't notice Kalley; she was only minding her own business, closing her eyes and humming a sweet tune as she strolled forward. Her water bottle was empty and perched on her shoulder was a white and furry mouse who seemed to look straight at Kalley.

As if things were not getting weird enough for Kalley, next to the small girl was a floating orb of water that looked as big as a basketball. It was just . . . floating there . . . following her around and bobbing slightly up and down. The water that it consisted of was swirling around in smooth and calm patterns.

Maybe it was Kalley's presence that the girl might've felt, or the small squeak that the mouse made, or just plain coincidence, but within a moment's notice, the girl looked up and saw Kalley, revealing a pair of brilliant and innocent sea green eyes.

Jumping up in surprise, the girl's eyes widened and words soon spluttered out of her mouth.

"E-eh? Oh, h-hey! You're awake! Whoa, gods, you almost scared me there- W-wait! Don't go! We're only here to help!"

Before she could say anything else, Kalley had already made a couple steps backward. The girl almost ran toward her and reached out a hand.

Before the girl could touch her, though, Kalley did it again.

Kalley remembered this sensation that she couldn't control. _Ah, so now I can even do it to people? _Kalley thought, feeling rather amused. It was as if the girl in front of Kalley was the only one who had slowed down in time for a moment. The girl just froze there in mid-run, her left foot hovering in the air behind her. Her face held a confused expression, then changed to a sudden urge of struggle to break free of the power that restrained her from moving forward.

Abruptly, the atmosphere changed, and everything turned back to normal. The girl collapsed onto her knees, gasping for breath. Her orb of water broke and splashed down next to her, soaking part of her hair and clothes. The lollipop had fallen and hit the mouse, poor guy, and might've stained him _just _a little. The mouse fell and landed in front of her, scurrying in circles and squeaking in fright with the lollipop still stuck to its back.

_Time to go, _Kalley thought quickly.

Still coughing from exhaustion, the small girl looked up, only to see Kalley retreat backward and race back to where she came from, taking the right turn that was just down the hallway.

**{xxx}**

Allen strolled past all the doors, looking down at the carpet. He'd just had a long talk with the hotel manager, saying that he didn't need a doctor to come over. The manager had just seen him and Elli drag an unconscious young girl between them as they entered the hotel, with Allen asking for any available room with the cheapest cost possible. They were only staying for a while until the girl woke up. Seeing the wounds that were done to the girl by that Stymphalian bird, Allen knew he could already heal them himself, thank you very much.

Elli had gone off in the other direction, insisting that his patient wouldn't "run away" and that she'd be fine in the room all by herself. Elli convinced him that she also take Gus with her so she could talk to the clerk at the desk that the water wasn't running and the electricity wasn't working. She also said that Gus needed some cheese . . . He did look hungry . . . or maybe she just wanted to get something sweet for herself at the cafeteria.

As Allen walked through the hallway, he remembered the Stymphalian bird that looked ready to strike the unconscious girl, ready to kill her. He saw that those same eyes at the store.

They looked almost too different from anything he'd seen before.

The girl's eyes were a deep amber brown, but they flickered softly, brown to gold, brown to gold. It looked like a mixture of the two colors that almost blended together, but were still held separate, swirling together in one dimension.

The gaze was so intense that Allen couldn't tell whether her eyes were actually real or were just part of his imagination. When she walked away abruptly after he felt that mysterious connection with her, Allen nudged Elli, wondering if she could really be a demigod, or perhaps . . . the _one_? For a moment there back then, Allen remember how Elli just stood there, deep in thought, and her hand immediately crept up to her neck and grabbed her necklace, and Allen knew something terrible was about to happen.

Almost nothing can compete with her powers, even if Elli can be a bit childish sometimes. Chiron was right, Allen might need Elli to finish this quest. One of the only things that can really take Elli out is surprise and . . . you'll find out soon enough.

**{xxx}**

"_Elli's only ten and a half years old, Chiron! She's way too young to come along!" Allen had looked at the centaur with shock and concern before their departure had taken place._

"_And will be turning eleven quite soon," Chiron said gently._ "_Don't worry, she'll be fine. You'll actually need her more than you think. She's well trained and very strong. However, Allen, please take care of her. It's been a while since someone like her had come around these past years." Then Chiron looked at Allen, his face filled with determination._ "_Promise me. Do _not_ fail this mission." _

_Allen nodded, knowing the risks if he failed this quest._

**{xxx}**

Ah. Sorry; got a little carried away there. Let's fast forward a little, shall we?

Allen and Elli had run out of the store looking everywhere, until they found the girl across the street faced with six huge gangsters. They were just in time to see the monsters transform, bursting out of their human form, while the girl was already far ahead of them, running away in terror. By the time Allen and Elli reached the woods where the birds entered and split into several directions, however, it was almost too late. The leader of the Stymphalian Birds had found her only a few minutes later.

Already, the girl was wounded, collapsed in front of an oak tree, losing consciousness. Allen made it just in time, using one of his sonic arrows (thank gods Elli told him to use the less affective one) and hit the bird right in the center of his body. Stymphalian birds hate hate _hate_ loud noises, like in the myth where Hercules had to fight them. Allen was lucky Apollo had given a couple of sonic arrows to him on his birthday.

It was a good thing Hermes gave them a huge supply of drachmas along with wads of cash. The taxi driver who took them in did not even bother to ask about the hurt girl in the car, zooming as fast as he could to the East until the car ran out of gas in Carson City.

Elli complained that she wanted to stop at a hotel with a swimming pool, no doubt wanting to practice and make real whirlpools for "fun." _Don't worry! I'll play at night! _She said.

Notice the word "play."

Oh dear...

Is she really the one? The true and rightful Heir to the Lord of Time? _She looked so weak,_ Allen thought in disbelief, remembering her crumpled form and the fragile state she was in. Then he remembered what Chiron had told him before he left on the journey here.

**{xxx}**

"_Allen,"_ _he said, the centaur's eyes looking at Allen with concern and warning._ "_The heir may not look powerful just yet. His or her identity hasn't been revealed to even themselves. It's best that it stays that way until you are at least there to protect the heir."_

**{xxx}**

Chiron was right. That girl not knowing who she really is already bad enough. Not only that, but if Allen told her it would also just increase her godly aura, and Allen didn't want any more monsters at the moment . . .

Suddenly, a familiar voice cried out, jerking him out from his train of thought. He could hear Elli's voice just around the corner of the hall.

"W-wait! Don't go! We're only here to help!"

Is she awake already? _Recovering so quickly, _Allen thought, _Well, if she's really the heir, all she needed was time, after all, _He needed to help Elli. If something went wrong, the whole quest would be ruined.

Allen broke into a run and was slowly reaching the sharp turn he needed to make to see what was happening. Only a few more meters left . . .

As Allen bolted around the corner, he was slammed hard in the chest, falling backward so abruptly he fell on his back. He heard a voice yelp and a girl stumbled and fell right next to him, gasping in pain. _Okay, so maybe her wounds aren't completely healed yet._

Allen had just enough time to stand back up and see the girl clamber to her feet, back facing toward him. She spun around, her hair whipping behind her, and Allen was quite amused by what he was seeing, taking note of the haughty expression on her face and the fact that she was at direct eye length with him, looking at him with the same intense gaze.

"Who are you people, and what do you guys want with me?" She said this fiercely, with an emphasis on every word, every syllable. Her auburn hair was loose around the length of her shoulders. Allen took note of every nicety, now that she was awake and flaring with her personality; the nicely carved face, the hair that was swept behind her left ear, the faint, dark circles under her eyes even though she's been out for two days already. She wore a dark red jacket with a blue t-shirt underneath and torn and dirty jeans. Her skin was a nice tan, and she looked to be almost exactly Allen's age.

Now that her eyes were open, Allen saw something else besides the weak and tired girl that had masked her appearance earlier. They showed a glint of rebelliousness, and a small but bright and distinct gleam of pure darkness. And that same, intensifying look. The colors in her irises proved Allen's previous observations correct. It had the same swirl of gold in them, like she was part . . . Titan . . .

"I guess I might ask you the same question." Allen answered honestly. Then he remembered back at camp how sometimes he had to take a few newbies and show them around while he introduced himself. Here we go again. "Hi. The name's-"

"Allen! Allen Allen Allen!" he couldn't help but sigh in annoyance as he turned around and saw Elli come running around the corner to meet them. One thing unusual: Elli's hair and part of her clothes were drenched in water. That rarely happened unless she had been too excited or surprised to dry off.

But this time as she got closer, Allen saw that she looked a little shaken and exhausted.

Another scary thing: Gus was pink, yellow, blue, and a whole motley of other colors other than white. Allen's poor mouse looked like he just went through a great amount of colorful spray painting and had resulted in becoming a fluffy little walking rainbow for no apparent reason at all.

"She's the one! She really is! I told you so!" Elli squealed. Allen stared at Elli in consternation, finding things very hard to take in after just seeing everything that took place in front of him.

Before the girl who had run into him could escape again, Allen's own hand shot out, catching her by the arm. Turning back to face her, he said,

"Hey. I don't know what it feels like to be in your shoes right now, but just hear me out." The girl stopped struggling for a minute, seeming to look at Allen with a new perspective. He gazed back, taking note of the feelings that he could read in her eyes. Still cautious, and a bit stubborn, but with a hint of new curiosity and acceptance. "Okay?"

"Fine." she muttered, yanking her arm away from his grip and crossing it with her other arm. The girl continued to glare at him.

Elli came to Allen's side, panting. Gus, who was in Elli's hand, leaped up to Allen's shoulder, looking quite colorful, but otherwise alright.

_Allen, Elli's right!_ the mouse said in between squeaks. Mice were a few of the sacred animals of Apollo and were known to be his little messengers. Allen just nodded back.

_Gus . . . I never knew you liked pink! What happened?_ Allen couldn't help but smile, trying hard not to laugh at the mouse's appearance.

_Oy, I don't like pink!_ the mouse protested, _I'll tell you later. Hurry, talk to her! She might change her mind and leave again!_

Gus was right. Allen looked at the girl straight in the eye, and said,

"Fine. We'll start by introducing ourselves first." After Allen took a deep breath and smiled at the girl in front of them, he began to speak, gesturing at Elli.

"This here is Elli Fugino. Sorry if she did anything that might've disturbed you," Elli looked at Allen with one of her famous whining expressions, those _I-didn't-do-anything-wrong!_ kind of expressions. Ignoring this, Allen took Gus in his hands, emitting a small laugh. He loved introducing Gus; it finally took some tension off this conversation.

"Named after one of the youngest conductors ever to lead the orchestra of the L.A. Philharmonic seventy or so years ago, meet the famous Gustavo Dudamel!" the mouse looked up, his chest puffing out to show how superior he was. _Oh, I just love introductions. Thanks, man!_

"Or just Gus . . ." Elli muttered. Allen glared back at her, only to be faced with those "innocent" bright eyes.

"Call me Allen," he continued, "Allen Stradwood." He looked at the girl whose name he still hadn't known, saw her gaze at him intently. Allen didn't know whether she wanted to suddenly punch him in the gut (please no . . .) or run away again. When he saw that defiant expression return again, he knew she wasn't going to run away any time soon. Then . . .

"You know nothing about me. Just leave me alone!" she said, sounding irritated and furious. Turning around she shoved past them and stormed away. Allen called out in protest,

"Come on! Just-"

"No! You aren't like me!"

"But you don't-"

"Just stop it! Go away!" she continued to leave. _So rebellious . . ._ Allen thought, getting slightly impatient and annoyed with her.

_She might even be worse than Elli! _Gus squeaked out.

Allen sighed in frustration as he ran up to block her way once again.

"_Look,_" he said, glaring at her fiercely. "We came here all this way, just to get you back to camp safely, and you wouldn't even bother to _listen_ to me." The most annoying thing about her was that she glared back at him with just as much stubbornness as before, impervious to the tone he put into his voice. Allen rarely got angry. But this was just too much.

"What do you know about me?" she asked. Allen's expression momentarily relaxed. He had to let her know now.

"First tell me your name," Allen insisted. A look of irritation suddenly spread across the girl's face, then finally, she looked as though she had given in. If she didn't tell him who she was, he might have a hard time with this.

"Gladhart." she muttered, still shooting a furious glare at Allen. "Kalley Gladhart."

* * *

**Okay. i WILL have the next chapter up and ready by next week or so, but please remember to review and answer my question!**


	6. Chapter 6: And We Keep Running

**Hiiiii :] we're back! and here's chapter 6 people! Finally, I had time to write. Sorry, my chapters are getting longer. **

**But would you guys like my chapters longer? or a lot more shorter than this? Please let me know**

**If you don't like something/anything (or everything) about my story. **

**I will see if I can write the next chapter soon! PLUS it's almost memorial day :] so i'm free :]**

* * *

Chapter 6: And We Keep Running...

* * *

Kalley Gladhart.

Allen looked at her face again.

So this is the new heir of Kronos.

"Finally," Allen murmured. Taking another deep breath, he said, "Kalley. You're not like other morta- er, people. Elli and I aren't either." he looked at Kalley's face, not able to gather any information from the inscrutable expression she held.

Allen couldn't help but feel nervous. He'd rather show her than tell, but saying a few couplets and quatrains might take some of his energy, plus he forgot his bow and arrows back in the hotel room.

Sometimes, it was okay when he told someone who they were, but on other occasions, Allen had encounters with fainting, tantrums, fighting, and an attack with a ping pong paddle covered in ice cream (Another story for another day, I believe . . .).

_Okay, _thought Allen, _just say it now. _

"Uh, have you ever heard about Greek gods before? Sometimes they have children, half mortal, half god." He took a deep breath "Well, we're demigods, and you're just a little like us," _Ugh, _It was the best way he could put it in, no matter how many times he'd toured other children around the place. But she was different. At least he said _a little . . ._

**{xxx}  
**

Kalley couldn't help it. She couldn't help stopping the baffled and confused expression that escaped from her face. She was too caught off guard at what Allen had said in front of her. But it took only a few moments to put it together. Dory had taught her the basics of Math, English, Science, and History, and Ancient Greece became one of Kalley's favorite topics. Soon she knew things about Cyclops', Spartans, Athenians, Zeus, and a little about Greek heroes like Perseus, Odysseus, and Hercules.

But those were only basics. And myths . . .

"Okay," Lovely response, but what else could she say?

Then Elli, still a little wet, pushed between both Allen and Kalley, standing a few feet away from her. Her face told Kalley that she was going to show something important, and perhaps something unusual. Elli turned back and looked at Allen, and his expression soon changed, full of caution.

"We shouldn't be doing this thing around here, Elli."

"I know, Allen, but I just want to try. It's fun too, anyway." Elli said, her face showing a bit of enthusiasm. She turned back to Kalley. "What are you thinking about, Kalley? Myths?" Elli asked, smiling.

Slowly, Elli raised one hand and closed her eyes in concentration. In a few seconds, Kalley couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The water on her clothes started to _evaporate, _slowly, until they gathered together in liquid form to create an orb that floated above right above the tips of her fingers. Kalley continued to stare as Elli made one fluid motion with her left hand and the orb transformed into a symbol the size of her palm:

A blue trident.

The image hovered above her hand as Elli lifted it up to show Kalley. "I, Elli Fugino, am the first and only daughter of the god Poseidon." she said calmly, closing her fist as the water suddenly dissolved into a cool mist.

Awesome.

Kalley remembered the bow and arrows on Allen's back when she first met him in the store. How long ago was that? It seemed like centuries since that happened. Although it was hard to take it all in, Kalley knew she had to try and trust them, no matter how much she resisted them.

"Then you're a son of Apollo then, aren't you?" she asked. Allen nodded, visibly relieved that Kalley was at least cooperating.

"_Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em._" Allen said in a natural tone of his voice. Suddenly looking a little embarrassed, he added, "Um, sorry. Shakespeare right there," Kalley didn't know whether the quote he had just recited had been pertained to her or something else. "Here, I'll, um, try something else," he said, holding Gus in his hands.

"_White as a cloud, he use to be, _

_Apollo, please turn Gus stain-free!"_

Kalley saw that the mouse in front of her was slowly changing back into his usual white color. The bright neon pink, orange, blue, and other various colors looked as those as they were melting off the little animal. Allen let Gus scurry back up his arm and onto his shoulder.

After waking up and finally being able to move around, Kalley took any details she could from the face of the boy right in front of her.

Allen had chestnut brown hair that naturally spiked up on the top of his head. His eyes also showed the same warm brown color that held plenty of patience and understanding. He appeared to be a couple inches taller than her, and looked quite athletic.

She still couldn't help feeling a little impatient with him. Allen hadn't answered all her questions yet, and now new ones were starting to stream out rapidly like an overflowing spring.

Well, just start with the basics.

"So, those monsters. They're actually real," Kalley said, her blood suddenly turning cold. Allen nodded sadly,

"Like the gods, they don't die. They just keep coming back after a period of time." No one spoke for a while as Kalley let that fact sink into her mind. Looking at Allen and Elli, they seemed to be perfectly fine about that fact. How many monsters have they encountered in the past?

"Uh, Allen . . ." Elli said, being the first to break the silence, "I kind of left a lollipop stuck to the ceiling . . ."

Allen's eyes narrowed at Elli with a hint of pure amusement and accusation. Elli's eyes widened.

"What? Clearly you should know I already do things worse than that! I was just trying to help Gus when I yanked away too hard with a loose grip." she protested.

"We'll talk about this later," Allen shot a glance at Elli. "Anyways," Allen said hastily, looking at Kalley's face with concern. She was suddenly aware of the aching pain in her right shoulder. "I think you need to rest for at least a few more hours. Don't worry, we have some food back in the room. After resting, we leave. Tomorrow."

He smiled grimly at Kalley, "Always best not to stay in the same place for too long."

**{xxx}**

Although last night Kalley looked like she was going to faint after seeing that the cuts on her shoulder, ankle, and knee were pretty deep and kept bleeding from time to time, Allen knew she was going to be okay. At least he'd seen worse. When Allen had decided to clean and re-bandage them after walking back to the hotel room, he noticed that they weren't suppose to heal _that _quickly. _Almost twice as fast as a demigod's ability to heal,_ He thought. _And all she needed was time. It makes sense._

Not bothering to waste any ambrosia (he had never given her any to eat to begin with), he placed all the contents that pertained to first aid along with his radio he received from his grandparents over the summer into the orange pack. The bag's interior magically extended so that its boundaries were almost limitless. You had to be careful where you put your things. Nevertheless, it was still one neat gadget to keep with you at all times. The total weight of the objects inside did not even affect the overall weight of the pack. _Thank you, Hermes, _Allen thought silently. Tossing the pack into the air, Allen caught the transformed stone and stuffed it into his pocket and swung his bow and arrows around his shoulder.

Walking out of the room he saw Elli sitting on the bed in front of the TV that was switched on to the Garfield show. Good thing it's nothing about Greek history, especially with someone like _her _watching the screen. Last time he heard that a guy back at camp had watched a show about _Greek Mythology's Top 10's Most Dangerous Monsters_. Well, _that_ didn't go too well . . .

But apparently Elli seemed to like the fat lazy cat who hates Mondays. Boy, is Gus gonna to freak, or what?

"Ready, Elli?" he called out, causing her to turn away from the screen and look at him with awake and energetic green eyes and wide smile, nodding happily. She was wearing fresh new clothes, her hair damp from the shower she had taken in the morning. Allen guessed she probably didn't mind the feeling of water in her hair anyway. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail with an azure-colored hat covering her head that matched her jacket. Her conch shell necklace still hung there around her neck.

Cause of playful and cheery mood: must've snuck out to the pool last night. Beware of any more existing forms of miniature glaciers in and outside of the pool area.

Another revival of the Titanic? Oh dear.

"We're gonna have a little breakfast first, okay? Then we'll continue from there." Elli nodded a second time and turned back to the television.

Kalley came out of the room, wearing the new yellow blouse they had bought back in the store, and a new pair of jeans and sneakers. She still wore her maroon colored jacket and her straight hair lay resting behind her shoulders. The sling hung around her shoulder with both hands stuck into her jacket pockets. Her expression didn't seem hostile anymore at least, not the same recalcitrant behavior that had been shown the previous day. As the three left the hotel room and headed down the elevator, Allen had remembered how last night he had been talking to her alone while tending her hurt shoulder.

**{xxx}**

_Allen looked at Kalley's face that was turned a little away from him just so that she wouldn't see the wound. Her expression seemed distant, far away. "You alright?" he asked. She looked back at him, and he was quite taken aback to see a new and expected look in her eye: fright._

"_Why should I trust you, again?" Kalley whispered. _

"_Well, why don't you just try trusting us for a while? Do I look that mean?" Then Allen said gently. "Do you have anything to return to if you go back home?" _

_Kalley's expression suddenly turned hard, and Allen added quickly that she didn't need to answer. _

"_No." she said, her tone stiff. "I hate my life back there. That's why I want to run away and be alone." She looked at Allen as if she accused him of ruining her plans of isolation. Again with the stubbornness . . ._

_Allen looked at her with a grim but reassuring expression._

"_I've known too many people who've said that already, Kalley. If you come with us, I promise there will be a family you will return to, people you will trust, and friends who will always stick by your side. You won't think of leaving anymore." _

_For a moment Kalley just looked at him, those golden-brown eyes gazing deeply into his own. Then her face seemed to change, from pure pride to envy, longing, and a strong hunger and craving for something she never had. That's what she needed so strongly. _

_Allen had never seen anything like it. Maybe even someone like her actually had some fatal weaknesses and desires. _

_Then, her expression abruptly changed to that same inscrutable expression, and she looked away again. _

"_Swear it." she whispered. Her expression showed a sense of depression and sadness, yet her voice full of determination. Was she crying? The statement she had spoken was barely audible, but at least Allen heard it. _

"_I swear." Allen whispered back. He was sure nothing will go wrong once they got back._

**{xxx}**

At least the food in the cafeteria was pretty good. Allen and Elli had picked a hotel that was a little expensive, but right now they still had a couple thousand dollars.

No biggie.

Today the cafeteria was bustling with activity. The area had numerous wooden round tables on carpeted floor with the buffet of food just next to right side of the room. The smells of waffles, pancakes, muffins, hot buns, bacon, egg, and more dishes made Allen's mouth water. He didn't think twice as he followed Kalley and Elli behind the line of people who waited for their breakfast.

As Allen sat down next to Kalley at a table near a flat screen television on the wall, with a couch in front of it. A man was slumped on the couch, snoring his head off with the remote control in his hand, looking like he owned the TV. Allen noticed Kalley's plate was quite empty except for the two rolls of bread and a cup of orange juice. She barely even touched them, just looking around to take in the surroundings and glancing at the news on the television.

"Aren't you a little hungry?" Allen asked, biting into an English muffin. First, she was wounded pretty badly, then she'd just been told she wasn't even mortal, and last night she only had a few cookies and blueberry muffins.

"Not really... I'm kind of not use to eating a lot in the morning." she answered, absentmindedly pushing her plate away from her. So now she's not hungry. Allen quickly took out the orange pack and said to himself that he'd pack some more food just for future purposes.

After stuffing more muffins, some beef jerky, rolls of bread. and anything useful into the orange backpack, he went back to see Kalley talking to Elli, looking at least more comfortable and relaxed than before. Elli just sat there chatting with her happily, cutting up a muffin that sat on a chocolate chip waffle with a dash of powdered sugar and strawberries spread all over. Gus sat on the table near Elli, nibbling on a piece of cheese that Allen had found for him before.

"So there's a camp for everyone like us?" Kalley asked. Oh, right. Forgot to tell her more about camp.

Oops.

_She still doesn't know who she is! _Allen thought nervously as he sat down in his seat. _We need to tell her now._

"Yup! Camp Half-Blood," Elli said. The noise that was going around them covered the sound of Elli's voice just enough so that only Allen and Kalley could hear her. "There are twelve main cabins. They represent the Olympian gods who rule in Olympus. More cabins are being built for the children who have minor gods as parents. It's actually pretty fun once you get use to your surroundings there. Did you contact them last night, Allen?"

Allen nodded. "Yeah. Just contacted Chiron and said we could probably get back by ourselves in a few days. He doesn't need to worry."

"Oh, okay then! You know, Kalley's already pretty well-rounded in Greek Mythology. Someone taught her some stuff," Elli picked up the muffin and placed a small slice of waffle shaped like a triangle on top. "Look, Allen! A muffle!"

"What?" Allen just looked at Elli, exasperated and amused at the same time.

Kalley gasped, causing both Allen and Elli to look at the television she was watching. On the screen, was a picture of a man, whose gaunt and unkempt face looked like he had taken quite a lot of alcohol. Above his picture were big bold letters in red: "MURDERED JUST THREE DAYS AGO." Then the imaged flashed, switching to a news caster talking to a plump woman outside a bakery store. Her expression looked like she'd been worrying for hours. Policemen surrounded the scene. On the bottom right corner of the screen was the location of the event that took place. San Diego . . .

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know what you're talking about!" the woman said, a frightened look passing her face.

"I'm so sorry ma'am." the man replied curtly, motioning her toward a police car. "But we will need to interrogate you a bit more back at the police station. You do know that on that same day a teenage girl was also seen walking away from your bakery, the same girl who sabotaged a nearby grocery store and was fined under the name of her guardian, Pierce Miller. And on that same day, the man was murdered, stabbed viciously in the chest and causing a fatal injury that ultimately led to his death."

The woman only stared back in shock. She looked ready to burst into tears. Oh, wait. She just did. After being brought into the police car, the image once again switched back to another newscaster.

The woman said, "The case of the man's murder had yet to be solved, and the girl was soon discovered to be missing on the night he was murdered. The girl's name is-"

The channel switched abruptly to an advertisement as _My Little Pony!_ music played in the background, with a pink toy horse prancing on the screen. A little girl with blond curls had jumped on the couch where the man was sleeping, picked up the remote control, and changed the channel. The man snorted and bolted upright, startled from the sudden movement that the little girl had made. Looking annoyed, he snatched the remote away from the girl, muttering to himself, and switched it back to the news. The poor girl scurried away, crying for her mommy.

"And that is the news for today!" the newscaster continued. "Until then, check our website for more details on the results for tonight's, _Dance, Robot, Dance!_ Will it be Watson's mechanic device that can crack out better moves than Otis' complex contraption? Keep on the lookout to find out more!"

Allen looked, at Kalley. It looked like she was trying very hard to hide something. A horrible realization came to Allen. _Oh man . . . In trouble already?_

"That girl. It's you, isn't it?" He asked her. Kalley opened her mouth with an expression of annoyance in her face, then quickly closed it. She crossed her arms and sank backward in her chair, looking at Allen defiantly. Allen looked at Elli, only to see her shrug helplessly. He shook his head and rubbed his temples. Ugh. What to do, what to do . . .

"Um, so, like we said yesterday," Elli began, talking to Kalley. "Allen said you're just _a little _like us. We're demigods. And you're . . ." the younger girl gulped, and looked at Allen nervously. Even Elli can be anxious sometimes, Allen guessed. This was the first time in history an heir has come along . . .

"I'm what?" Kalley demanded, sitting up in her chair. If this conversation was going to take any more stalling, Allen thought Kalley might just as well pull his hair as well as her own.

"Kalley," Allen said. "You're someone . . . different. None of us are like you at all. Think back, Kalley. What could you do in the past? You've probably felt and done something strange before, haven't you?"

Kalley's brow began to furrow. Allen saw her fists that were at her side slowly clenching and unclenching. Then it looked like her heart skipped a beat. She looked back up at Allen, a look of dismay showing on her face.

"We demigods take traits from our parents, especially their powers. Just like Elli. Just like me." Then Allen added softly and gently, "Kalley, you're the daughter of-"

"Kronos," Kalley finished, looking more and more grim. Sometimes being intelligent can have its own disadvantages. "_The _Titan lord. The Reaper of Souls. The Lord of Time. The-"

"Stop it," Elli snapped. Despite her sudden change of tone, there was a tinge of fear and panic in her eyes. Allen knew she was trying to be brave, but it's kind of hard for someone her age. She's only ten years old . . . Way too young to be coming along. "Names have power. And now you know who you are! Allen, we really need to leave." Elli looked like she wanted to yank out her necklace any moment now. Allen also felt a sense of danger creep slowly into the atmosphere. I guess demigods had those types of feelings and reflexes. The ones that can keep you alive.

The room seemed to get less crowded as people left after finishing their breakfast. Soon, only a few people and Allen, Kalley, and Elli were left. Not caring about the quiet environment around them, Kalley mumbled,

"So what's so bad about _him_ anyway?"

Allen and Elli exchanged glances of uncertainty. They should talk about this somewhere else. Not here. And definitely not now.

Realizing that they were not going to answer, Kalley asked irritably, "then is there anything else should I know?"

Before any of them could answer, a crash erupted in the front of the lobby.

Then, a scream.

"Not at the moment . . ." Elli murmured.

Allen, Kalley, and Elli stood up just in time to see a _huge_ dark shape burst out into the clearing.

"Hellhound..." Allen muttered, cursing in Greek under his breath. He slowly reached his bow slung on his shoulder.

"Aw, I thought they were supposed to be cuter than that," Elli whined. The enormous mastiff came into view, revealing its blood red eyes, looking like hot, glowing coals that came from the great depths of the underworld itself. Its hair stuck up so that it already looked twice its size, which did not help. The dog's lip was curled up into a snarl, with large amounts of saliva dripping from its razor sharp fangs. Its paws looked to be half Elli's size, and they thundered on the ground as if the tiles under them were about to break and shatter into pieces. The hellhound's bark was deafening, and soon it was snapping its jaws viciously at the three kids in front of it. Looking around, Allen saw that now they were the only ones left in the cafeteria. Everything was clear. The only things that stood between the huge monster and the trio were tables, plates of food, and chairs. They still might not even stand a chance.

Allen looked at Kalley and saw a look of anguish on her face. Her irises seemed to flicker again, but more intensely this time. Brown, gold, brown, gold. Maybe to her that hellhound seemed to look much worse than those birds back from the previous days.

_Of course_, Allen thought. _She has no fighting experience at all._ Allen could feel his heart sinking. Rapidly. Elli looked more focused and determined. Her eyes seemed to narrow as she reached up to get a good grip on her necklace. Allen remembered that she had kept her water bottle in Allen's pack. It would take too long to get it out now. Allen saw Elli's eyes blinked and scanned through the area. Hopefully she will find something equally useful for her just in case any of them engaged into combat. Anything.

The hellhound seemed to scrape its gigantic paws on the tiled floor, as if deciding which way to go and how to attack. It took its time, prowling slowly, evilly towards them, its eyes fixed on the two girls on either side of him. _He's drawn to their increasing power,_ Allen thought, feeling the dread creep up his spine.

Gus' form seemed to quiver on Allen's shoulder. _Allen, this is not good. Not good at all. We can't outrun that thing . . ._

_What other choice do we have, Gus?_ Allen thought, knowing that there was still a feeling of helplessness in his train of thought.

_I wish I knew, man._

"We'll have to try, then," Allen muttered so that only him and Gus could hear. He looked at Kalley and Elli.

"Let's get out of here."


	7. Chapter 7: A Day With Bowwow and Poochi

**Yay! Chapter 7 is here! I'll try to write one in one day today so I can post the next one tomorrow or on Tuesday ^^**

**Honestly, even writing without some of you guys reviewing is actually fine with me. At least I have one person reviewing**

**all the way x] Thanks. **

**Hopefully Chapter 8 will come soon. Happy Memorial Day!**

* * *

Chapter 7: A Day With Bowwow and Poochi

* * *

Elli could already feel the hellhound's fierce gaze piercing into her skin.

The dog seemed to be slinking slowly towards them, looking wretched and terrifying. Although it looked to be as big as a medium-sized truck, it could probably move with astonishing speed and agility. Its eyes continued to glow with that same redoubtable aura that had already given Elli goose bumps and, sadly, enough future nightmares to think about in the next few months. The hellhound's bark sounded like thunder that crashed right here in the cafeteria. No way.

_We can't escape that thing, _she thought.

She looked around for the nearest exit to . . . anywhere really.

Elli saw the look on Allen's face. It was the kind of look that meant that they seriously needed to get out of here. Kalley stood on the other side of Allen, looking helpless and clueless as of what to do. But the look in her eyes told Elli that Kalley seemed to be born for survival. If she could run away, she will probably make it out alive. Her life might be the only thing she cared about.

Elli couldn't help but feel a thought of resentment towards that fact that she had just gathered. Oh well. She was Olympus' first priority and it was crucial just to get her back to camp in one piece.

As Elli scanned the area she saw an exit that led to the back of the hotel. She remembered that there was a car dealer out there somewhere. Suddenly, a new idea began to form in her mind.

"Allen," she said, keeping her voice low and not looking at him so that the hellhound wouldn't get distracted. "I have a plan, but you're not gonna like it." It really didn't look like he had a choice anyway unless he was perfectly fine with being Allen Chow. So whichever way this conversation will go, she'll probably win it in the end.

"Fine, hurry. What is it?" Allen said, sensing the fact that her ideas usually involve something insanely stupid or ridiculously impossible. In this case, though, it was both.

"Take the exit on the right," Elli instructed, sensing that the hellhound was coming closer and closer. "Take Kalley with you, and head to the car dealer across the street. While you're there, I'll be distracting this huge puppy." Elli saw the abrupt shock that came on Allen's face. Next, he was saying this all very fast,

"Elli, I can't let you. It's too dangerous! You can't possibly do this,"

"Yes I can," Elli insisted. "The hellhound might be too fast for the arrows you might shoot with anyway, Allen, and you look old enough to drive a car, let alone steal one." His face still held that hard expression. Good thing she wasn't arguing with Kalley.

"Come on, Allen. Just trust me. You know I'll be fine." Well, _fine _might not exactly be the right word for this situation . . .

Her only hope was to maybe lead the mutt towards the pool . . .

Allen was biting his lip, looking as though he was debating on a risky situation that took place in his mind. He looked at Elli, hard, and she knew already what he had decided.

"Fine," he said, gritting his teeth. Sometimes Allen couldn't face the fact that Elli is mostly always right. Elli smiled at him smugly.

"Lovely. I'll meet you right outside soon in . . .-"

"13 minutes and 54 seconds. That's how long it'll take us to get a car, and _illegally _too," said Kalley mechanically. Her expression immediately changed into confusion. "Whoa."

Allen looked at her, grinning, "So it's settled."

Elli reached up to her neck and unclasped the conch shell necklace she was wearing. Before it had transformed, the conch shell had grown warm in her hand. She knew this never happened before, but suddenly it started to glow a bright green once she held it in her hands. Huh. Perhaps . . . Yup, danger was near. Elli held in front of her the two and a half foot pattern colored blade in front of her. The edges of the blade were glowing a faint light blue. Engraved on the hilt of the sword were the words:

_παροδικός _

_Parodikós. Evanescent. _Her fingers ran over the word one more time.

Allen stared in surprise at the sword. "New?"

Elli nodded, smiling happily. "Dad gave it to me. Early birthday present,"

**{xxx}**

_Elli sat on the floor at the foot of her bed in her cabin, staring at the fountain that had been there for as long as she could remember. The colorful walls glowed brightly like abalone, and the ceiling above her was decorated with a few bronze hippocampi that swam graciously around the beautiful sea shells and gray sea rock embedded in there. _

_Hanging on the wall next to her bunk was a regular old shoebox with a Minotaur horn in it. Pasted on the wall inside her bunk were pictures, usually with the same people: a boy with jet black hair and sea green eyes (like Elli) standing next to a blond, gray-eyed girl; the same two people along with a girl dressed in all black with electric blue eyes, a young Cyclops with a club, and a satyr with a red cap on his curly hair, probably to hide his growing horns; the boy and gray eyed girl standing in front of Chiron, the centaur at Camp Halfblood; finally, the same boy with a man and a woman, accompanied with a red-headed girl. All these people seemed to be smiling so happily, looking care-free, although that was not always the case with demigods, especially when those particular people played a huge part in the famous Titan War. Even if she never knew them, Elli felt some sort of connection with the boy._

"_The legendary Percy Jackson..." she murmured, resting her head on the mattress behind her and closing her eyes. And now it's her turn to do something. But for now, this was her home. She didn't have her own pictures on the wall yet (nor did she own any), but soon she promised she'll have something to leave behind if she had to depart from this place . . . or if something happened to her. What do demigods do when they come of age? Do they just drive a car through any town, fighting monsters along the way? _

_Elli looked down at her hands, where a thick red leather book rested. The pages were worn and yellow from the long years it has been through. She wasn't that much of a writer, but half the pages were already written in by someone else, and the other half was still left to be filled out._

_The book wasn't hers. It was just given to her by-_

_A flash erupted through the whole cabin room, and when Elli could see again, she noticed that the fountain was glowing eerily as she surreptitiously slid her book underneath the bed. Good thing she didn't look directly at the light. She kind of had an idea of who was there. Everything had slightly gone darker. Behind the fountain stood a tall man, with a neatly trimmed beard and a smiling face, where the crinkles around his eyes actually made him look kind. He wore brown khaki shorts, sandals on his feet, a nice Hawaiian, blue T-shirt, and an old fishing hat that said _Got Fish?

_The man looked up, revealing his deep sea green eyes. "Dad!" Elli squealed in surprise and delight, jumping up and running toward him to give a huge hug. Poseidon picked her up and swung her around, chuckling as he set her back down. "Why did you come?" Elli asked, staring at him expectantly with those same, identical green eyes._

"_Happy Birthday, my dear child," the father said warmly, hugging Elli once more. "Now, I know your birthday will not be here until another two and a half weeks pass by, but I can't make it in time because . . ." his voice trailed off, and suddenly the kindness and tenderness in his eyes were gone, replaced by a hard expression. Maybe it was her imagination, but Elli could've sworn that for a second there the hair of her father had changed colors, from black to slightly gray. His eyes began to look more tired and his face more senile. But as it had come, the features on his face that were there a second before vanished._

"_What is it?" Elli whispered, looking up at Poseidon. He looked back down at her with sad and hard eyes._

"_I shouldn't be telling you this . . . But . . . We are starting to prepare everything, but this time setting the standards to a higher level. Someone is coming back, Elli, and we need to stop him. " he said quietly. "Someone from long time ago . . ."_

_He gave her a look that advised her not to ask any more questions, and that soon, perhaps, the answer will be revealed . . . later. _

"_Well, on that happy note," he continued, his face changing into a smile, "I have this for you." _

_The sea god took Elli's hand gently and opened her palm, placed something inside, and closed it again. Elli looked down, her fingers curling back out, to see a milky white and beige miniature conch shell hung at the center of a dark stringed necklace. Golden, Greek letters were engraved at the bottom of the shell. Elli stared at it in awe and curiosity. _

"_What is it?" she asked again._

"_I dunno," Poseidon said, grinning, "You tell me," _

_Then Elli remembered that this was given to her by a sea god, her father. Any item given by a god will have magical aura around it. She could already feel the excitement boiling in her heart. Usually things transform when the owner wills it to . . ._

_The two and a half foot blade rested in her hand, with Elli looking down at its magnificent beauty and greatness. The blade was a milky white, like the shell that was just in her hand, decorated with a natural sheen of light patterns of the shell and colors of the sea. The hilt was an ebony leather black, with the same golden Greek letters engraved on the side. Immediately she understood what it said and meant. The weight of the sword felt just right and perfect in her hand._

"_Made of the finest celestial bronze in the sea. I tweaked it a little just to make the colors look . . . should I say what people say nowadays . . . "_awesomer"_ and the blade sharper. The string is durable and will never break unless you will it to. Can cut through almost anything," Poseidon said, looking a little embarrassed. "And it will only recognize you, as the wielder, and whenever you are in danger, it will always send a warning," _

_Elli still couldn't believe that she could actually own this beautiful and carefully made object. She continued to stare at it, afraid that the image and the sword itself might disappear in her mind. Oh, The irony of its name . . ._

"_This was supposed to be made for Percy," Poseidon added with a sad smile, remembering his favorite son. "but he managed to take possession over another very powerful sword . . . But I assure you, child, that this sword will grow with you as you get bigger, so it will never get too small, or too big."_

"_W-whoa. T-t-thanks dad," Elli stammered, still amazed by the gift she had just received. She didn't care whether it was supposed to be made for Percy or not. All that mattered was that now her father actually cared for her, and that he believed she could own such a valuable object. "I love it. It's so . . . breathtaking." _

"_I was hoping you'd like it," he said, grinning. "you might really need it sometime," after a few moments of actually holding and twirling the sword a couple of times, Elli looked up in gratitude. _

"_Thank you."_

"_It is my pleasure, Elli," he said, his expression holding a sad smile, "Well, I must be going. Olympus is preparing for another council meeting. I will see you next time, when you need me," His figure soon dissolved into a fine mist, and the mist seeped out through the window as a wind smelling of sea salt blew past. Elli looked down at the fine weapon in her hand, and just as she thought, it was willed back into the necklace from before. Taking the ends of the string in both hands, she clasped it around her neck, remembering the words on the hilt. _

_Parodikós. _

_The Evanescent Blade. _

**{xxx}**

Right. Her birthday was in a week and a half, and daddy comes over and gives her a deadly sword.

Try not to kill yourself, child.

_Too late,_ Elli thought. She looked back at Allen, then gazed into those sanguine eyes of the monstrous hellhound in front of them. The hellhound finally looked like it had run out of patience, and was already advancing toward them with increasing and deadly speed.

"Okay, on my mark," Elli murmured, giving Kalley and Allen one final look. "One . . . Two . . . Three . . . Mark!"

Allen grabbed Kalley's hand as they made a wild dash to the right as Elli dived to the left. The hellhound lunged toward where they were just standing, damaging and destroying the table they were just at. Seeing that the two were already safely out the door, Elli picked up a spoon off of one table and chucked it at the mastiff's head.

"Hey! What's the matter, muttface?" she taunted, "you can't even catch me!" The hellhound whipped around with surprising speed and stormed toward her. Woops. shouldn't have teased him . . . Elli made a desperate run toward the tables and lines of food where the people use to gather to grab their breakfast. Whew, a water fountain over there, a jug of water over here.

_Okay, now think of what you've learned in the past, child, _Elli could hear the voice of Chiron in her head from previous experiences in training in the battle room. Ever since she had turned up in Camp Halfblood, Chiron had actually taken her in to be her mentor. He probably knew what she needed to know since he had also helped Percy in the past. She sometimes spent long hours in the practice room or near the lake just perfecting small techniques and methods of how to control the way of water, being supervised by Chiron. With Percy gone, Elli was the next most powerful "trainee" he would focus on, and perhaps build up her powers from here, lowering their chance of getting killed due to their immense aura of godly power.

Even without Chiron there to watch, Elli sometimes snuck over at night, would dive to the very bottom of the lake on the other side of camp, and practice under the moonlight reflecting under the deep waters. Sure, she'd seen some harpies on the way, and they almost caught her once, but she usually got her way with things. Distractions on one side of the camp, run to the lake, and boom, you're in. Well, she did sound to be like a child of Hermes, but hey, nothing, _nothing_ is better than spending time underwater, and this was a chance Elli couldn't resist. And you have to admit, being in a lake for a long amount of time was pretty awesome. She actually found a cave at the very depths of the lake, through a small tunnel near the side, where the hole pitch black and dark so it looked to be unnoticeable. The cave turned out to be quite spacious and dry, the perfect place to practice in. The interior walls were beautiful, made of limestone and bits of shells and gray rock at the sides. But that wasn't the best part. On the ceiling of the cave, numerous speckled bits of sparkling abalone were everywhere, make the whole cave glitter with life and brightness. Elli could stay in here all day and do nothing.

Oops. Again with the straying off the topic part. Sorry. Where were we? Ah, yes.

The hellhound barked again, its stentorian growl blaring in Elli's ears. Suddenly, the hellhound was only a few feet away from her. Before it could touch her, a small jet of water blasted forward, striking the monsters face. The hellhound was slammed to the wall, and Elli thought, _hey, I have time. I don't think I should hurt it yet. _Even though it was momentarily stunned from hitting the wall, the hellhound charged again, and Elli barely had enough time to dodge. Seizing her chance, she tried to take a cut at its paw, but instead only raking its shoulder lightly. This thing was fast. Before Elli could attack again, something worse happened.

_Ugh, why me again?_

Another hellhound appeared, this time from the front of the lobby. And this time, it was a lot bigger than the one she was currently fighting. Elli could barely keep her thoughts straight. _So, if Kalley comes back here again, there could be two more monsters coming this way? Her scent must be strong . . . _Good thing I'm here to distract them . . .

Good thing?

_Note to self: Never feel overconfident, especially if you are a demigod._

**{xxx}**

Allen turned back just in time to see the hellhound barging toward Elli before he and Kalley raced out the back door. He was tempted to help, but right now the only way _to _help was to get them out of here. They looked around in panic, scanning the streets, the parking lot, the shops . . .

"There!" Kalley said abruptly. The place where she was pointing was not very far from where they were standing, being only across the street and two blocks away. The shop looked old, creaky, and abandoned. Elli actually bothered to look at that when they came here?

Nevertheless, they ran as fast as they could until they entered the shop. The floorboard that they stepped on creaked noisily, and some were actually missing from the floor. The windows were cracked and the walls were dirty and stained with who knows what. There were posters of new cars, old cars, used cars, totaled cars, future cars, bright colored cars, small cars, big cars, and cars that looked so ugly that they should've never existed. The only person that was there was man behind a counter smoking a huge cigar who looked like he just wanted money and could rip you off easily.

Immediately, Allen hated this idea. The man looked almost too specious for his liking. But he had to try. At least he had his bow and arrows with him. Allen looked at Kalley, saw her give him a shake of the head, which gave Allen no choice but to drag her by the hand. They approached the man, and after a few moments he spotted them and grinned slyly. So much for talking to strangers.

"Good afternoon, sir," Allen said, his voice curt and quick. He stood up to his full height, trying to act as formal as he possibly could. Need to sound like a 16 year old. Piece of cake. _I'm only two years younger. Nothing to worry about. _Allen thought. "We would like to borrow a car here in Nevada. You know, take a drive around," The man's eyes narrowed, as if he could see through that mask that Allen was wearing. Then he gave Allen a toothy grin.

"License, please?"

Shoot.

"Um, let's see here . . ." Allen muttered, cursing in ancient Greek as his right hand reached into his pocket. Sometimes, Hermes really didn't think of anything. The man blinked, his eyebrows raised with amusement and caution.

"What about your girlfriend over there?" he asked. Allen completely forgot that Kalley was standing to his left, and he was still holding onto her hand. The reaction was quick and abrupt. Kalley yanked her hand away from his, fuming at Allen. _I think she's going to slap me sooner than I think, _Allen thought silently.

She was still red in the face as she faced the car dealer.

"He - is - _not - _my - boyfriend," she said, gritting her teeth in anger.

"And her not my girlfriend," Allen said in a small voice. The man just looked really bored in the face as Kalley continued to glare at him.

Whew, he didn't look like a monster. And by now he would've already noticed Kalley.

"Fine, whatever." he said, feeling impatient, "License?"

What now? They were wasting time, and for all they knew, Elli might hopefully still be alive fighting that hellhound.

"Okay, here." Allen said, and instead of giving him a license which he did not have, he gave a huge wad of cash. The man's eyes widened in surprise and greed. "Just give us a key to a nice car. Hurry up." Then something really, really, oh . . . I guess you could say . . . _bad _. . . happened.

"Oh, kid. I just don't want money . . . Although this looks quite satisfying," The man crooned. Abruptly his facial features began to sharpen. His eyes continued to narrow, but this time more unnaturally. The grin on his face soon turned into an evil smile, revealing a set of perfect, razor sharp fangs. And Allen had had enough when his eyes suddenly turned into a blood red color. "There's something else I want. Something . . ."

Before he could finish his horrifying transformation, Allen had already pushed Kalley to the side, whipping out his bow and stringing in an arrow. As soon as he let the arrow fly with a twang, it struck home. The man's voice, now a wretched and ghastly shrill, reverberated through the room. There was a huge explosion of gold dust, leaving Allen gasping, the stress starting to wear off him. Kalley walked shakily towards him, still staring at the cloud of dust.

"W-what . . . Was that?"

"I really do not have the slightest idea," Allen murmured. "Whatever it was, it didn't look like anything I've seen before. That thing was pretty clever, revealing itself at the last minute so that it could've caught us off guard. But it was rather slow in turning into what he really was . . ." They continued to stare at the golden dust cloud for a couple of moments. Then, it was Kalley's rough shove in the shoulder that jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Elli."

"Oh shoot. You're right." Allen said. How long has it been? Is Elli still okay? He rushed behind the counter where the monster had been, and opened the door just to the back of it. In front of him were a few cars, and most of them looked horrible and possibly even out of gas. Only a couple looked great and capable of driving. They needed at least one of those cars. He spotted a car out there to the side. Now _that_ is the car we really need. He looked behind him, seeing Kalley standing where the counter was, her head looking down at an opened drawer.

"Um, Allen . . . We've got a problem here," she said, letting him stand next to him to see what he was looking at.

Scattered around the drawer, were mounds of car keys. At least 50 of them.

Only two keys were the ticket to get them out of here.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me..."

**{xxx}**

"RRRRARF!"

_Okay... so how did Bowwow get here? _Elli thought. Two hellhounds were getting confusing, so she thought she'd name the big one Bowwow, and the smaller one Poochi. You know, just in case.

"Aw, I thought we were playing fair!" she whined, holding her sword up as she edged away from the lobby, away from Poochi and Bowwow. The smaller hellhound made a leap for her, and to say that she made it just in time was an understatement. Sidestepping, she swung Parodikós to the right, but only managed to scratch its left side. A trickle of blood gushed out as the hound winced in annoyance. Elli didn't see Bowwow until it actually slammed her with its paw, sending her flying right to the wall.

"Ugh," she muttered, her head reeling. Poochi lunged toward her a third time, and Elli almost didn't have time to think.

Almost.

A howl of agony was followed by a burst of gold dust. In the dog's place was Elli's sword, pointed upward to where its chest was. Elli was breathing heavily, more of fright and tension than in exhaustion.

One down, one more to go.

Before anything could happen, she scrambled back up and ran into the hallway, and made a water fountain nearby burst open with a stream of water spluttering onto the floor. Slowly, the water froze just a little, creating a little frost and ice on the floor. _That should stop him for a while..._ Elli thought, taking a left, towards the pool. Bowwow was barking furiously, its paws sliding clumsily on the ice as it tried to chase her across the hallway.

Sorry, doggy.

Elli sprinted as fast as she could, finally yanking open the screen door that led to the enormous pool before her.

No one was there. Good. Without hesitation, Elli ran and made a dive into the water with a splash.

Immediately, she felt her senses calm down, her sight came into focus, and her energy restored. Peering out of the water, she saw Bowwow burst into the clearing, its blood red eyes looking wildly around the area. As it prowled around and made a circle around the pool, another blast of water struck the hellhound in the chest, forcing it to take a few steps backward.

Elli willed the water to slowly elevate her until she reached the surface, her feet still on the surface on the water so that she looked like she was standing on the pool.

Whoa, this was starting to get really cool.

Bowwow barked furiously, apparently smart enough to know that it was going to fall into the water if it tried to run toward the pool. An idea formed in Elli's mind, but she would need the dog to be near or in the water first . . .

Elli leaped out of the pool, landing squarely on the solid concrete. Bowwow snapped its jaws, loping toward her the minute she landed. Elli tried to roll sideways, hoping the hellhound would miss her and fall into the pool, but apparently Bowwow seemed to be just as quick. The monster spun around without even slipping a tiny bit off the edge. Elli summoned a wave of water from behind the dog, but abruptly it swiped back at Elli with its huge claws, causing her to stumble back. The mass of water collapsed, raining down the hellhound. Her right cheek felt warm from the blood that trickled down from the small gash the hellhound had made. _Okay, now that's just really mean... _Elli thought, her eyes narrowing.

The monster came at her a second time.

Elli closed her eyes. _Use what you learned today..._ she always heard Chiron say that.

She felt a painful wrench in her body, and as she opened her eyes, she exerted her last bit of energy into the water on the ground underneath the hellhound and the pool behind it.

The effect was immediate. The water rose up and soon wrapped itself around the hellhound, and soon the monster was encased in a large floating orb of water, about twenty times the size of the one she had made earlier yesterday. Bowwow was just floating there, looking confused and angry. The dog looked like it was choking from lack of air. Although she had to kill monsters, Elli hated to see them in pain, no matter how horrifying it looked.

"Sorry, I'll make it quicker," she breathed.

Lifting up her hands, and performed something that she'd never done before. The orb's size contracted sharply, and immediately the sphere exploded into particles of mist, mixed with flecks of gold dust.

Elli groaned, collapsing onto her knees in exhaustion. A pool of water surrounded her small figure.

She had to get out of here. How long has it been since Kalley and Allen told her to meet her outside? _I really need to get out of here,_ Elli thought as Evanescent transformed swiftly back into the same conch shell necklace as before. Not caring about the huge amount of energy she had used up, Elli staggered back into the hallway and stumbled out of the hotel as quickly as she could to where the streets were.

**{xxx}**

Allen sat in the front seat of a sweet jet black BMW, scanning the entrance of the hotel. It hadn't taken long to find the key in the drawer. Luckily, both of them were pretty good at guessing.

Where was Elli? Gus was squeaking endlessly on the head seat of his chair.

_Come on. Don't worry Allen. You know Elli can take care of herself. She's even a child of the Big Three._

_Fine Gus, but she's taking a little longer than usual in there._

_Maybe she was kind enough to go back get me some cheese,_ Gus said hopefully.

_And if she gets killed in the process we know who to blame, then,_ Allen thought back, feeling more panicked. Gus certainly wasn't helping today.

_Or she can just get me some cheese._

_Shut up._

Kalley sat in the seat next to him, looking quite relaxed. When they got on the road, at least they might be able to get away from most of the monsters around here. Well, at least _she_ did not have to worry about first time driving.

"She's here," Kalley said, and Allen turned to where she was looking, saw Elli running out of the hotel. Allen started the car, and waved his hand out of the window so she could see. In less than two minutes Elli was already inside, and Allen stepped on the gas. Elli looked tired, but unhurt, thankfully, except for the faint scratch on her cheek.

"What took you so long?" Allen asked.

"A second one came after you guys left," Elli muttered. Allen's eyes widened in shock. _Two_ hellhounds? He glanced in the mirror, and saw that Elli looked ready to collapse from exhaustion. Clearly she had done something that had taken way too much energy.

"Go get some sleep," Allen said. "We'll be on the road for who knows how long."

He guessed Elli didn't need to be told twice, because in a few moments the back of the car was filled with soft, deep breathing. Kalley looked at Allen.

"She really killed those two by herself?" She asked, her face full of awe.

"Apparently," Allen murmured. He'd never known Elli that well, but now he learned that she really was essential to help finish this quest. Without her, they would've been dead by now.

"You have the map?" Allen asked Kalley. There was a rustle of paper; Kalley nodded by his side.

"Where to?" Kalley asked.

"Nearest route out of Nevada." Allen said. "We're heading to New York."

* * *

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**Please comment if you find anything wrong with this chapter**

**or any other chapters in my story! Remember to review again please! thank you :]**

**-Olo Eopia03 **


	8. Chapter 8: Knox

**Hi again, folks! This chapter is reeellly short and is just here to give you some immediate pleasure ^^**

**Please don't expect another chapter for about 2 to 3 weeks. :P I have a violin audition coming up, and**

**I guess it's time to actually focus :( **

**A new character's coming! I dunno, I'm trying my best to try developing these characters**

**as if they were just like us. Hopefully this works... **

**But I really hope you like this chapter :]**

**-Olo Eopia03**

**P.S. Thanks to **2coolwriter** for reading from the beginning and staying with Kalley, Allen, and Elli the whole way!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Knox

* * *

Kalley stared at the road outside her window.

They were on the freeway, driving at a comfortable speed, passing a number of buildings and houses. She saw that Allen was keeping his eyes on the cars in front of him, his hands gripping loosely on the wheel. Driving hadn't been so hard after all, he told her. It was just accuracy of staying on the lane; that's all. Apparently, the only hard part was staying awake and alert at all times in case something happens.

It was getting dark. Elli was behind Kalley in the backseat, still sleeping soundly with the conch shell necklace tied around her neck. They were safely out of reach from any monsters coming from Carson City, but that still shouldn't keep both Kalley and Allen from staying aware to their surroundings.

Even though they were on the freeway. On the move.

Nothing could really happen to them right now . . .

Right?

"What did she do, back there?" Kalley asked, remembering the attack with the hellhound that Elli had so briefly described.

'_A second one came after you guys left,'_

That was all. What was so special with two monsters attacking you? Sure, Kalley was rather stunned with this, but she couldn't say that she was impressed. She had _zero_ experience in fighting . . . well, just about anything (that Cyclops didn't count... and Pig Face looked like a useless crying baby once she saw those birds and that hellhound).

Sometimes, to her, she didn't know whether it was actually that great when someone could kill a monster or two. _Doesn't that make them a monster themselves?_ Kalley quickly pushed the thought away. She didn't know whether to even be amazed or simply terrified, but if she was going to live like this, maybe people like her didn't really have a choice. At least they didn't love to kill monsters for fun.

Allen's eyes lost focus for a moment on the road as he looked at Kalley, his brown eyes full of warmth.

"I really don't know," he said. "But Elli proved something though that our camp director told me about. Her fatal flaw."

"Fatal flaw?" Kalley asked.

"Oh yeah. Did you know our camp director's a centaur? Forgot to mention that. His name's Chiron, mentor of basically all heroes, and the one who sent Elli and I on this mission to bring you back. You know, centaurs being half horse, half man and all. He's actually not violent at all like most of them are, unless you really count listening to Frank Sinatra being all that horribl-"

"Stop changing the subject!" Kalley snapped.

Frank Sinatra? Seriously, when did anyone ever bother to talk about Frank Sinatra?

Kalley never knew Allen could babble _this_ much when he was nervous. Maybe Chiron should've sent someone calmer and less confusing to read.

This was going to be a long day.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," Allen said, his expression full of defeat from trying to lead her away from the previous conversation. Was this really all so secretive? "Elli's just like the child of Poseidon before her."

Kalley felt slightly irritated at the things Allen was telling her. When can he just explain things thoroughly? Even his expression didn't hold anything that she could easily see.

"You are starting to get really confusing and annoying, you know," Kalley said crossly.

"What am I doing?" he asked, his face full of question and amusement.

"Stop leaving me in the dark!"

"Now look who's talking in riddles," Allen said, grinning. Before Kalley could start to complain, Allen said, "Here. Elli is a child of Poseidon right? Before her, there was a demigod child of the same father. Percy Jackson, The famous Legendary Hero who fought in a huge war around seventy years ago." Kalley didn't say anything, hoping Allen would continue talking. And so he did. "Skipping the _information-that-we-do-not-need-or-care-about_-_right-now-at-this-moment _part . . . to cut things straight, Elli is currently the only and first daughter of the sea god Poseidon. Not to mention coming along after so many years. It's almost been a century! _Almost, _though. Children like her usually don't come along after a pretty short time. A lot, and I mean _a lot_, is expected from her. Of course, Zeus and Hades were furious-"

"Why?"

"Why? Oh, nothing really. It was just a promise, a Pact, for the Big Three to not have any more children. I'm really not sure if that promise was lifted after the Titan war, but Elli's been the only child of the Big Three ever since. They're just too powerful," Allen explained. "See, that's why only Elli could handle such things without actually killing herself in only ten minutes. And she's only ten. Well, eleven soon, really." Kalley saw Allen's eyes closing for a second too long.

Longer than usual, at least.

He really was starting to get tired. And to imagine just learning to drive in only 4 minutes?

"So what does this have to do with a fatal flaw?" Kalley asked. Allen smiled.

"I can't just start blurting things out, Kalley. It's a weakness for most, maybe all, demigods. Would you really want me to tell everyone yours if I knew what it was?"

Kalley only grunted in annoyance, turning back to her own little window to watch the buildings go by.

"Elli may be powerful," she heard Allen say slowly, "but now there _is_ another person who showed up, isn't there?"

"This isn't really helping. I'm just a normal person," Kalley muttered. She was starting to get sleepy too. They were entering Las Vegas, passing casinos, hotels, and an occasional house. Suddenly, one caught her eye. It was a _huge_ casino. You know, with bright lights and pretty colors and all that bling. And even though it was a casino, it looked like a hotel too. The sign in front seemed to get blurry in front of her, and the letters really got all mixed up as they danced dizzily and annoyingly around the billboard.

"Ugh, why can't I read anymore?" she asked, frustrated. She never remembered having to read with difficulty in the past. But then again, there wasn't much to read in San Diego. The only things she needed to look at were street signs and stores, which were there ever since she could remember. She didn't need to read them.

"Dyslexia. You've never had it before?" Allen wondered, surprise.

"I've never bothered to focus on reading in San Diego," Kalley explained.

"Or maybe your identity was just kicking in." he answered, sounding as though he were thinking of a million possibilities of how just a small reading disorder might be caused by. "But that rarely happens . . ."

"Whatever," Kalley said. She really didn't want to get into detail of what is happening to her. She can find that out after she got some rest. "Hey. Why don't we go back there? There was this huge building I saw that looked like an awesome casino and hotel. We have money right? Maybe we can stay there for a while."

Kalley saw Allen's face suddenly turned into a dismayed expression, yet his hands started to tighten on the wheel of the car. "You saw that? We really shouldn't, Kalley. The Lotus Casino's really dangerous, you know."

"What makes you say that?" Kalley asked. She tried to listen to anything else Allen was going to say, but she was starting to feel sleepy. It's hard to stay awake with three monsters pursuing you in a day . . .

"Trust me. I know." Allen said, his face grave and full of sadness. What had happened?

Deciding that it was best not to argue, Kalley decided to doze off.

Maybe just for a minute or two . . .

_His sword sank straight into the concrete floor where he left it as he leaned against the wall to rest. The room he stood in was almost completely dark, except for a vast, open clearing in front of the older boy. _

_The boy was wearing a jet black fedora hat that covered what looked like short, blond hair, with the angle from Kalley's vision tilted just enough so that she couldn't see his eyes. His face lay in shadow. The older boy looked to be in around his late teens, in dark skinny jeans and a navy blue colored wind breaker. He didn't seem tired; not a speck of dirt on his clothes. _

_Around him, lay mounds, layers, and hills of gold dust. _

_What is this?_

"_You're getting better," a voice said. Immediately, Kalley hoped that she could not be seen by anyone, wondering if she was invisible to all eyes in these dreams she'd been having lately. _

_Where was she exactly? Even _she_ couldn't see herself when she looked down at her body, and yet she could feel herself shrink back into the wall as the hiss of the voice came out of nowhere. The air around the room seemed to shiver and break due to the power of the voice. That one voice that only Kalley couldn't quite remember, yet knew of it the minute she had heard it. _

"_But not up to your expectations, sir." the teen replied curtly. His body had tensed up once he heard the voice, but he did not look around to find the source of it. The boy's voice was deep and had a warm and resonant tone in it. _

_Another voice, the same one who stood alongside the knife-scraping voice in previous dreams, whispered into the air. _

"_S-soon, you'll be ready to p-protect her at all costs now, won't you, Knox?" there was nothing to be afraid of, yet that voice still stuttered and stammered as though it had something that made him awfully uncomfortable._

"_That is my only duty," Knox replied. He was walking away from the wall now, pulling his sword smoothly out of the solid ground. The sword shrank slowly into a pocket knife, sheath on top, as Knox placed in this inside pocket of his jacket. _

_Kalley still couldn't see his face; his back was turned to her. Even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to get a better view... Somehow, she was rooted to the spot. _

"_The training session is over. Take her back to us only after she has been discovered by the one who dares interfere with our plans," the first voice hissed. It was clearer now. Kalley could feel a strong presence, a cold force. It seemed to be surrounding Knox. In that moment, the air around him seemed to turn darker, revealing a cloud-like gas. It floated and darted endlessly around the boy. "Bring her to me . . ."_

_There was a pause, an empty moment of silence. Then, Knox slowly nodded. "Whatever it takes to fulfill my own wishes, sir," _

_This mist around him seemed to dissipate, vanishing quietly into the air. Kalley looked back at Knox, and in an instant, he flicked his right hand. Suddenly, a bright and colorful light burst from his palm. It looked like a star was floating above his hand. The mysteriously light was beautiful, taking an appearance of a miniature nebula surrounding his hand. Knox held it slowly up to his face, then his hand closed, and the light was no more. _

_The light looked . . . so magical . . ._

Kalley opened her eyes and saw that the car was parked in a small parking lot. Where were they? Allen was leaning on the steering wheel, his arms crossed and his head resting on it . . . sleeping. Gus was probably snoozing in his pocket. Behind her, Elli still seemed to be still asleep as well, but it looked like she was starting to come around. Without looking at the digital clock placed in the car, she already knew what time it was.

_3:31 in the morning, _Kalley thought.

Kalley looked out the window. Their car was the only one in the parking lot. The lights on the ceiling flickered and blinked. No one was there yet . . . Kalley felt like something was watching her. She was being hunted.

There was a bang on the roof of the car.

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**Again, don't expect another chapter for a while :] **

**I hope you liked it. Please review just to make me happy xP**

**Thanks.**

**-Olo Eopia03**


	9. Chapter 9: Unremitting Tension

**Anyways, here's chapter 9. Yup, I'm kind of sorry for the whole _so-many-monsters_ type of thing. It's starting to overwhelm me xP In the next few chapters you'll notice less and less of these smelly funny eyed creatures, but hopefully with the same amount of action :)**

**Ahhhh... I'm starting to run out of ideas! the plot is still really strong in my head right now. But the only hard part really is just how to fill in the blank spots within the plot xP **

**Darn. **

**I present to youuu chapter 9.**

**Review**

**-Olo Eopia03**

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Chapter 9: Unremitting Tension

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Sometimes it's a bad idea to be in an empty parking lot with no one to witness your death (or is it murder?). There's no evidence of who (or what . . .) killed you. No record, no timing, and no one bothering to even care about you until they actually found your dead body. What if monsters know how to dispose of bodies?

Or is it three dead bodies?

Kalley could already picture the headlines that would boom out of any television screen: _Three Young Children Murdered by Who-Knows-What . . ._ Yes, that would make a good headline... or should it be like thi-

_Shut up, don't think about that . . ._

But that's exactly what Kalley was thinking so rashly about right now, except 10 times stronger...

Go figure.

The vociferous boom shook the whole car, and Kalley felt her heart jump into her throat. She saw Elli jolt awake right away, looking around in panic. But looking on the bright side, at least she was a light sleeper.

Elli looked tempted to roll down the side window, but immediately decided against it.

"What was that?" Elli asked in consternation, her voice quavering as she stared at Kalley with her wide, green eyes. Elli looked perfectly fine for a ten year old who had just fought two monsters a few hours ago . . . Well, She didn't look as tired as before, but it actually would've been nice if they could be left alone for at least one whole day or two before they were once again mauled by a herd of creatures.

_Hey, it's really not my fault all this is happening to us . . ._ Kalley thought, _or is it?_

_When being extracted by a team like this, is the trip going back that we're taking right now suppose to filled with this much trouble? If that kind of thing happens, I'm actually starting to regret actually coming here._

After a few precious moments of silence, Kalley could only shake her head in answer, feeling just as mystified and frightened as Elli was.

Another bang finally woke Allen from his sleep. Something was making a dent in the roof of their new BMW.

It _was_ a nice car . . .

Allen's head jerked up from his arms, his eyes wide open, snatching his bow and arrows from under his seat. In one swift movement, his hand reached for the stone that lay in his pocket. Kalley could already feel Goosebumps on her arms.

This wasn't right. Something was definitely wrong here.

Something was moving on top of the car. It didn't sound like crawling... or walking. It sounded like one smooth, single...slither...

Kalley groaned, feeling more aggravated than terrified at what was happening outside. When can she ever relax?

Uh, like . . . What about never?

She really didn't like playing guessing games . . . Who would at a time like this?

"Where are you, my sleeping children. Knock . . . Knock . . . _Knock._" came a strange, feminine hiss that sang out with an eerie tone. The sound was enough to make a chill run up Kalley's spine. Were the doors of the car closed? It sounded as if the creature's voice were in the vehicle itself.

Another bang reverberated through the roof of the car. What was this thing? Kalley really hoped she didn't need to find out.

They were at a huge disadvantage here, being trapped in a small car with the door in front to your side as your quickest and only escape route.

It almost looked impossible to get out of this situation . . .

Kalley looked at Allen, and saw that he was thinking exactly the same thing. He had already transformed the stone into the orange pack from earlier that last day, and was done rummaging through it.

On his lap lay a small, sleek dagger with a leather brown sheathe on top as he quickly handed a water bottle to Elli. As the pack again took its shape back into a small pebble, Allan tossed the knife to Kalley. Kalley caught it in mid-air; she looked at it, feeling and testing the weight of the deadly weapon in her hands.

Oh boy. _What I've always wanted, _Kalley thought. A _good-luck-before-you-die_ gift.

She'd never really wielded a weapon of some sort before . . . (Not counting that horrible encounter with Pig Face . . .). The knife felt _okay _in her hands, but it just didn't feel like it would suit her very well. The weight felt alright, but Kalley felt as if something were missing from this weapon that she would've wanted to have.

Jeez. No time for complaining here. We're actually in a huge life threatening situation right now.

"Here. I don't know if you really like knives, but this is the only weapon I could find the quickest." Allen said all of this really fast, as if his mind was racing, thinking of a plan of how to get out of the car . . . alive.

Allen looked at Kalley. She could tell he was trying to read any expression that was hidden in her golden brown eyes. But looking for what? Allen soon gave up as Gus scurried out of his pocket and perched on his right shoulder, quivering in fright. For some reason, watching Gus do that seriously wasn't helping . . . "And that's my favorite knife. If you don't mind, I'm actually going to think that you're reliable enough to keep it safe and in good condition."

_You think about the knife, but not about the person using it and getting killed?_

Again, Kalley didn't understand Allen's thinking, but before she could ask, the boy was already talking in voluble sentences. She really needed to listen.

Allen was asking Elli anything that had happened while he was sleeping. Elli had already moved closer to the car door next to her, the sword glinting virulently in her hand. As she told him what the creature on top of the car had said, Allen looked like he'd rather jump off a building than try to tell them what was out there. By now, probably anyone would look like that after experiencing what they're going through right now.

"What is it?" Kalley demanded. When Allen then continued talking, she couldn't tell whether he was actually talking to her and Elli or to himself.

"Sleeping children . . . slithering . . . a woman's voice . . ." Allen was muttering. Then, he cursed in Ancient Greek. Somehow, Kalley understood it completely, and I don't think that you would want to guess exactly what he said.

"Allen! Spit it out already!" Kalley snapped, almost ready to punch him in the gut. If he was going to continue like this, Kalley swore she was going to just walk out of the car herself and see what's out there. Just as she was ready to turn the car handle . . .-

Yeah, probably a really bad idea, but what can you say?

"Lamia," Allen whispered. Kalley's hand stopped before her wrist could twist anymore to make the car door open. What is that?

This really was never thought to be possible, but Elli's eyes instantly got wider at the word, her eyes as round as saucers. Her hand had already snatched the conch shell necklace from her neck, and as the charm morphed into the same sword from a while ago, Kalley noticed this time that it was glowing a bright sea green, with the light pulsing irregularly . . . Like . . .this. Like . . .this like this . . . Like this like this like . . . this like . . . this . . .

Okay . . . sorry about that. Distractions are _so _fun to write about.

Allen glanced at Elli, and nodded. What were they thinking?

They probably learned some strategies back at their camp of what to do in a situation like this. Kalley hated it when she was the only one who couldn't understand them. The slithering above the car was getting closer . . .

"Hey, wait. What the heck is a La-"

"Kalley, she's going to find you first, okay? Just . . . stay right here, and _don't_ leave the car no matter what happens." Allen said this all very slowly, telling this to Kalley as if their lives were in serious danger.

Well, no duh . . .

"But what if it-"

"Just listen to me." Allen pleaded. "It will work."

Kalley could only nod in frustration and annoyance. However, obeying seemed to be the only choice left unless she, Allen, and Elli didn't want to get out in one piece.

Yup, obeying seems like a pretty good choice to me.

Kalley unsheathed the dagger, looking down at the beautiful and magnificent golden-bronze blade.

As the three waited, they listened to the redoubtable slithering and hissing on top of the car that was gradually getting louder...and louder... Just as Kalley took a glance down at the blade once more, she heard a loud thump on the concrete floor and saw something in the knife's reflection that almost made her scream as she whipped around to look back at the window. This was definitely Monster Rank Number ten. The previous ones were like little babies compared to _her_.

The woman stared at Kalley through the window, her heinous features looking unbelievably horrid and frightening. If you don't count the bloodshot eyes that looked like they had been scratched out by her hands, the insane look on her face, and her wild, vicious eyes, you would actually think that this woman could pass as quite beautiful.

Yeah, right.

It was only until you look at the fact that she was just _half-woman _. . . _That_ can make you jump out of your pants.

Her lower body was that of a huge serpent, its green reptilian skin glinting with a light sheen. Her hands . . . didn't have fingers at all. Instead, they were replaced by five long, razor sharp black claws on each hand. One blow or whack from a single hand could probably kill you in an instant. Ouch. Her long, dark brown hair looked as if a rat had lived in (or is still living in . . .) it. This lady must've gone insane more than once in her life. She looked scary enough to make anyone run off in a second after looking at her, whether it was also another scary creature or a really, _really_ brave sumo wrestler. What is this monster?

She was wearing a purple shirt that said _Baby Sitter, on the Go!_

_Okay, really? Do you have to be that lame?_ Kalley thought, despite the fear that was building up inside her. As soon as the monster had appeared at her window, Allen and Elli had already burst out of the car, with Allen attacking first, his bow singing in the cold air.

His shot was so quick and smooth, yet Kalley couldn't understand how the monster had managed to dodge that attack. The silver arrow missed the monster only by a couple of millimeters, with the arrow rushing past and skidding onto the ground with a loud clatter.

"Oh, children! Come! Please don't disobey me!" She cried out in a shrill voice. Her face held a sly, evil grin as Kalley watched from inside the car. Kalley was already rolling down the window to listen and watch what was happening.

_This is seriously starting to get annoying_, Kalley thought impatiently. She really wanted to get out too . . .

Elli was instantly right in front of the monster as she dashed out of the car. Elli threw the water bottle straight at the lady's face. Instantly, the plastic that was holding the water inside shattered, with the intensifying pressure of the water bursting out. The water instantly formed into a jet stream of liquid being shot at the face of the Lamia. But even this was dodged, and the water missed, splashing helplessly onto the ground.

"You looked a lot kinder when you were fast asleep, child," she snarled at Elli, starting to look annoyed. "Do you even know who I am?"

"Well, _duh._" Elli said, clearly unimpressed with the monster's frightful appearance (or maybe she was just acting like she was being unimpressed . . . she was much more different back in the car). "You're just a stupid Empousa,"

"No!" the monster screamed, clearly looking angry and outraged by what Elli had said. "I'm Lamia! _Lamia,_ I tell you! Don't you _dare_ mistaken me again!" Lamia eyes were blazing red, with dark veins protruding out into her face. Her dark brown hair added to that horrifying affect, yet Elli still didn't seem to waver from that wretched image. Kalley could already feel herself trembling in fright. Gus was right next to her (looks like he's really a big wimp too . . .), squeaking frantically and looking around in sheer panic.

"Right, sorry. I kind of don't pay attention a whole lot in Greek Mythology class," Elli said, almost talking to herself. At a time like this? "You were the one who ate your own sleeping children, right? I've got to say there, you seriously outdid yourself that time . . . Why didn't you eat your cute little Echidna as well?" Elli seemed to be deep in thought. "Wait, actually, was it Scylla that you forgot to chow on? Probably. I seriously need to review my facts. I've almost completely forgotten! Either way though, I think that would've certainly helped the world . . ._ a lot._"

Again, Lamia screamed a string of words that were really unclear, obviously insulted by the comment. "Hera stole them, I tell you! She _murdered _my poor babies, you stupid little twerp!" At this, Lamia lunged toward Elli, but Allen seemed to be quicker, letting an arrow twang past by from behind, grazing the monster's upper arm and ripping its purple shirt.

"Shut up, Elli. You're seriously not helping," Allen growled as Lamia cried out in agony, spinning around to face him.

"But it was actually starting to get interesting until now, Allen!" Elli whined. The monster behind her was clutching the small cut on her arm, her breathing starting to get uneven.

"You're paying for that, you filthy demigod!" Lamia screeched, slithering at an impossible speed toward Allen. "It was twenty percent off!"

In one quick motion, Allen whipped out another dagger from his pocket, just in time to stop the claws of the truculent monster from slicing his throat. Lamia seemed to be caught by surprise by this fast and immediate reflex.

Unfortunately, this definitely was not a demigod that she couldn't just play with.

Nevertheless, as he tried to attack her with a swipe of his knife, Lamia quickly shoved it aside with her claws once more, this time sending the knife flying out of Allen's grasp. Before Lamia could inflict a huge wound at his side as she swung her hand toward him at a deadly speed, Allen did a neat back flip as he spun away from the monster, sending more arrows racing toward it as he landed squarely back onto the concrete. The silver colored arrows went zinging toward the monster, all aimed for the same target.

Despite his keen skill in accuracy, almost every projectile missed the monster as it slithered form side to side, it's speed almost undetectable by the naked eye. The only ones that had made its mark had only either grazed its body, or torn its precious T-shirt. Lamia cried out in pain and annoyance, but Kalley couldn't tell whether the cries that had been emitted from her were due to the cause of her minor wounds or the shirt itself.

Maybe Kalley should give her some advice and tell her that she should just go to another second-hand store, where the prices there are _definitely_ cheaper and have more durable shirts. Maybe she'll be happier . . .

Maybe?

Neh.

Lamia darted to the right, grabbing the knife that had clattered on the floor only a few seconds ago. As she got hold of it, she made a change of direction, ready to meet Elli's own sword just as Elli was about to make a huge wound at its neck. The two parried and fought back and forth with unremitting ferocity.

Elli looked like she had trained for this all her life, and already had a natural talent in sword fighting. Being smaller and lighter seemed to help a lot too. Elli moved with such quickness that it looked like it could meet the level to beat the monster she now faced.

However, the monster fighting her looked just as skilled and treated this as though it were an effortless task, the dagger matching the blows of the opponents sword with an equal and deadly force.

Kalley glanced at Allen, wondering why he wasn't doing anything. Then she realized that if he tried to interfere with their fight, he might hurt Elli instead of the Lamia. They were just too fast.

At least he was in a closer range now, with another dagger in his right hand and his bow and arrows in his left.

The monster took a slash to the right, but was quickly blocked by Elli's move. Despite the fact that Elli was doing _really _well, she was starting to look like she was getting really tired (no one can really blame her for what she's been through today, right?). Her breathing was getting deeper, and her strokes against the monster were becoming more and more labored. Even her footing was starting to turn a little sluggish.

And yet only a little amount of time had ticked by.

But it didn't look like she was going to give in just yet. Lamia was also loosing momentum; the cuts on her arms and side having a deeper effect on her now that more time had passed and now that the energy she was using had increased. Even her moves were starting to become a little more clumsy.

Kalley was already out of the car, with the knife at her hand. Allen looked almost ready to charge in to interfere with the fight himself. His fingers that were wrapped around his bronze colored bow were flexing, his brow furrowed with deep concern.

So far, he really wasn't hurt; it also looked like he had been training for this ever since he lived at camp.

When he saw Kalley had gotten out of the car, he couldn't help show a quick look of shock, then anger.

So much for following directions . . .

But there was something else. Kalley couldn't help feeling . . . something . . . wrong.

Everything happened in slow motion.

The monster cried out in fury as she slashed once more with brutal force. The blow was so hard that although Elli had blocked it, she had already taken a small stagger backward.

Right there. Such a small opening, but it was enough to create a huge mistake to start forming into something horrible.

In one small move, Parodikós clattered to the ground, the sound of the clamor echoing throughout the parking lot. The next second, Lamia was already right behind Elli, clutching her neck and holding the sharp knife to her throat.

But that wasn't it. _I've seen this before,_ Kalley thought, her blood stopping cold. _What happened? I've seen same thing happen just a second ago!_ Kalley tried to push the thought out of her mind, but the memory stained there like a stain that had permanently damaged a shirt: the arm of the monster poised right before Elli, Allen's panic stricken face, the monsters evil and triumphant smile. It was like Déjà vu, except with a more vivid memory. Kind of like watching a video clip that was replayed over a second time.

_I think I'm hallucinating... yeah that's it. See things that really happen a second later. _

_Right._

"One tiny step," the monster snarled, glaring at Allen as she tightened her hold, "and the little one takes a _long_ and permanent trip to the underworld." Elli's face was slowly turning pale as the blade inched closer to her skin.

Kalley thought she was the only one who saw Allen's hand that was holding his bow twitch slightly, but apparently Lamia had really sharp eyes. "Drop the weapons," she whispered, only directing her piercing gaze at Allen.

He didn't move.

"I said, drop them!" she screamed. Her blade was already touching Elli's neck, who was still frozen in place.

Looking angry and defeated, Allen threw his weapons on the ground forcefully, the two making a helpless clang as they fell onto the cold, solid concrete. He was glaring at the monster with pure hatred, a hatred Kalley had never expected to come from him. Quickly, she stuffed the knife in her jacket pocket, hoping that the monster would not notice this act.

Lamia looked around intently, her gaze _finally_ resting on Kalley. "Your knife too, my dear. You really think I would be that stupid?" A second later the knife in Kalley's pocket fell to the ground as well. "Ah," she hissed. "so _there's _the powerful child I've been sensing all along. You _do_ look quite . . . delicious . . ." Lamia said this with a smile as she slowly licked her lips.

Ew.

The monster's brow furrowed as her face contorted, making it uglier that it could've possibly been. "What child...are you?" she hissed aloud. The parking lot was still deserted, the sound of Lamia's voice ringing against the walls. "ssss . . . yess . . . a lot more powerful than _this_ child . . ." she continued, stroking Elli's scratched cheek with a single finger. Elli winced.

"What do you want . . . ?" Kalley asked quietly, hoping her voice wasn't quivering with fright.

Lamia laughed. "What do _I_ want, _Kalley?_" she asked. It didn't matter to Kalley whether she knew her name anymore. Kalley was already trembling. "How considerate!" she exclaimed, the monster's voice sounding shrill and mad.

Wasn't she always?

"You know you do not belong anywhere, child. You are _alone._ _He's coming . . ."_ she hissed. But before she could say anything, time seemed to slow down.

Literally.

Kalley could barely control her overflowing emotion. In the next moment, Kalley felt herself right in front of the monster and Elli. In one swift motion, Kalley snatched the knife from Lamia's hand.

Then the moment was gone. Just like that.

Everything again was in motion.

Kalley pushed Elli out of the way to free her from their opponent's grasp, facing the monster with determination. As time slowed once again, this time only for a millisecond, Kalley stood right behind the monster in the same position as it had done to Elli, knife at its throat.

The monster blinked, this time genuine fear appearing on her face. She didn't dare struggle, for she could feel the knife pressing against her skin. Kalley seemed to be burning with rage.

"Don't deny it," Lamia whispered, knowing that Kalley would be the only one to hear the almost in audible comment.

"_I am never alone,_" Kalley hissed in hatred in the ear of the monster. Then, in one fluid motion, she brought the knife coming down, straight toward the monster's heart. Lamia did not have time to react to this; the blade was going at a deadly speed, bringing the monster to her death.

A scream erupted through the air as gold dust dispersed from where the monster was standing.

Silence.

Kalley just stood there, turning her gaze to face her two companions. Elli was already next to Allen, with Parodikós in her hand. Allen too had his own weapons, his knife in his belt, his bow and arrows over his shoulder, and a trembling hand on Elli's shoulder. Both were staring at her with . . . was it awe? Or maybe even fear?

Instantly, Kalley felt a pang of dismay and regret. Did they think she was a freak?

What really had she done?

"K-Kalley . . ." Allen managed. "You . . . so fast . . . you were just . . . there. Now you're here." He looked at her with disbelief. "How?"

What was he talking about? Hadn't she just walk toward the monster(who was literally frozen) and disarmed her? No big deal right?

Kalley couldn't meet his gaze. She really didn't know what to say to him.

They should just talk about this later.

Luckily, it looked like Allen could sense what Kalley was feeling at the moment. "Let's just get out of here." he murmured.

"Yeah. Thanks . . ." Elli muttered, brushing Allen's hand off her shoulder as she walked slowly, her form looking in danger of collapsing, toward the car. Her attitude had completely changed, but Kalley couldn't pinpoint on what she was feeling. Allen looked back at Kalley once more. Both of them turned back to where the jet black car was sitting, and followed Elli back to the single vehicle.

The three were completely separated. As they drove the car out of the parking lot, a silence hung in the air like a brick wall that broke everyone apart from each other. In truth, they were really, each and every one of them, alone in their own thoughts. Alone again. Damaged by what had happened during the night, the company continued back to where their destination lay in unremitting tension and separation.

Or had they shared only one connection? A single thread. The thread soon became the building blocks of the acts and bindings of loyalty, friendship, and faith in each other.

But without each other . . . They are nothing.


	10. Chapter 10: Stars

**Hey awesome people out there!**

**I need your help. It's just a nice and friendly vote that would really help me in future chapters. I don't know when, but I'm working on it.**

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**Violin, ****Piano, ****or ****Cello?**

**Thanks. **

**Anyway, Just let me know in your reviews.**

**-Olo Eopia03**

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Chapter 10: Stars

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"So, where are we now?" Kalley asked, looking at the map intently. It was already 8:37 AM. Weirdly enough, the new highway that they were driving on wasn't on the map in Arizona. Looking over to the seat to her left, Kalley saw that Allen was still gripping the wheel, looking like he was starting to get the hang of trying to drive for long periods of time.

Elli was sitting in the same backseat, dozing off from time to time. Allen had already offered her these square-like cake (or was it crackers?) things called _ambrosia_ and still she was a little tired from earlier that day. Oh well. She didn't seem to be in the mood right now to talk or listen anyway.

To Kalley it seemed like something back there made Elli a _little_ grim and grumpy.

Did Kalley do something wrong to make her _this_ upset?

Kalley always thought that Elli was the light spirited, bubbly one, which was apparently not the case right now. She had been so easy to socialize with, and Elli was so open and . . . quick to explain the things Kalley didn't really understand (unlike _someone_ she knew . . .). There must have been something that Kalley missed, but right now there weren't any obvious ideas that were blinking madly at the top of her mind.

Gus was right next to Elli in the left hand seat, sleeping as the white fur on his small body rose and fell at a steady beat. He didn't seem to mind the deep vibration that rumbled underneath the car as they drove on. At least Gus seemed less tensed than all of us.

He gets time to relax.

Lucky him . . .

"We're in . . . I think we're in Kansas right now." Allen said. His eyes were still focused on the road, unfazed by the statement that he had said to her. Kalley's eyes widened in shock as she took in what Allen had just told her. In Kansas already? What did they do? Teleport across a city or something?

"Are you kidding me Allen?" she asked in astonishment. "That takes . . . twenty hours, four minutes, and forty-two seconds!" She blurted out, not caring at what she had just indicated. It seemed to be that she could calculate elapsed driving times in a second. Hopefully they come in handy sometime later too.

_But I guess that's not really the point, is it?_

"How'd you get there without stopping the car or wasting so much money on gas without the car breaking down? Sure, you've reached the highway in the right amount of time, but I'm really starting to think that you're crazy." she snapped. After another few moments of thinking, her impatience flared again once more. "Actually, Allen, we're forty five minutes and 52.5 seconds ahead of where we're supposed to be right now," she hissed. "We're basically in a really freaky car that doesn't really weaken, if you haven't noticed! Did you do something to it?"

"Well, the question really is, what did _you_ do, Kalley?" Allen asked, looking back at her. His brown eyes were glinting, full of curiosity. "Were you in a hurry when we left the hotel? The car really seemed to speed up on its own you know, and the gasoline meter had just frozen in place for that much time."

Well . . . Now that she thought about it, she _was_ a little worried of getting out of that hotel right away . . . and ever since Lamia came by, she'd always wanted to get away from that location as fast as possible.

But did that all really matter? The subject about her heritage and time itself was already starting to make her feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar with her surroundings. It was as if she was a whole different person.

Kalley looked over at the gas meter and saw that Allen was right. The needle was still frozen at the Full Section, and the mileage was at a steady sixty-five miles per hour. Was it possible that she could speed up the acceleration of other things, yet not affect their stamina or to those around them? Maybe she's frozen the meter while speeding up the car. What? It might've seemed possible, but it was still a really mind-boggling subject for her. To be able to control time . . .

Maybe she could really start getting the hang of this.

Allen, seeing that Kalley was already coming to her own conclusion, relaxed back into his chair. "You know, time _is_ really a confusing thing to control," he said, as if reading her own thoughts. "That's what makes _him_ so great."

"You're not surprised by any of this?" Kalley asked, feeling as though everything that was happening to her right now was really quite a big deal. How can he not be surprised? "Of how the car can move faster than most without damaging its mileage rate? Of how I can move quickly like that? Of h-"

"I just want to accept things." Allen replied simply. Then he grinned. "We already live in a world full of horrible and crazy things, so I guess it's alright to just let it all go and accept it. It's actually quite relaxing and stress relieving."

Well aren't _you_ Mr. Cool and Collected . . .

Who does he think he is? Neil Armstrong? The crazy astronaut experienced almost getting killed on TV after jumping out of an exploding space craft, and he treated it as though it was nothing! Maybe Armstrong was a demigod too.

Whatever.

Right. Maybe I should try doing that sometime.

"Hey guys, can we just stop for a while?" Kalley had momentarily forgotten that Elli was there, and apparently awake. "it's starting to get really claustrophobic and all. You know . . . Unlike a vast ocean," Elli muttered, obviously still in a very unhappy mood. Looking at the mirror, Kalley noticed that the corners of Elli's mouth were turned down just a little bit, indicating the frown that was starting to form there. She _was_ only ten to eleven years old . . .

"Well," Allen said glancing at the map in Kalley's hands. "We can try going to Lake Kanopolis. It's not big, but it's not greatly populated there either. There's probably a parking lot or open space nearby where we can have the car stay in. Why don't we camp out for a change?" Elli's face seemed to lighten slightly as Allen said this. She seemed to take this as an automatic yes, apparently. Allen didn't seem to mind. Then she sighed and rested her head onto the windowsill of the car door nearest to her, slowly closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

"So what," Kalley said sarcastically. "you have a tent or something?"

Allen's face seemed to turn a light yet almost unnoticeable shade if pink. "Well, Hermes _did_ say it was better to be safe than sorry . . ."

By that, it meant there really was a tent.

In the stone.

Pebble.

Backpack.

Blah.

Sigh . . .

"Good luck," Kalley added.

"Hm? Why?"

"I'm not helping you unpack it."

**{xxx}**

Lake Kanopolis really was a beautiful place. The air smelled fresh with a small touch of pine, and the weather was just perfect for the day out at camp. The trees that were surrounding the area had a wonderful, lush, green nature to it. Flocks of beautiful birds occasionally flew by through the clouds. The sky above them was painted a magnificent light orange; it was one of those sights that make you just want to stand in one place and admire the environment around them. But the most breathtaking part was the lake itself. As the sun began to set, the beautiful rays of light shone onto the surface of the lake in the right spot, where the water sparkled like an endless field of diamonds. The water looked so calm . . . so peaceful and undisturbed. When the three arrived there, the place was deserted. All the more better.

As soon as the struck camp there, Elli had already waded into the pool, looking as if a great weight had lifted off her shoulders. Elli's green eyes seemed to brighten and gleam as she looked around her, familiarizing herself with the lake and its surroundings. Her hair, which had been let down while they were on the road, blew with the faint breeze that had passed by. Her face seemed to relax just as her feet had reached the edge of the lake. As she took a dive into the mass of water, she never came back up after a few long minutes.

After about the ninth minute, Kalley was starting to think of what really was going on down there . . . Kalley was almost tempted to jump in herself to see what was happening in the depths of the lake.

"Don't worry," Allen said, as if sensing Kalley's new concern at what was happening. He was finished setting up the two tents (yes, apparently there were two . . . again with the safe and sorry thing . . .), and the sleeping bags were already set just outside. Allen was leaning on a huge boulder that stood nearby, resting for a moment as he looked at the lake. "She probably just wants some time to herself. The water helps a whole lot too." Right. Daughter of Poseidon. Kalley was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that the Greek gods were existing. But now, she guessed that she would just need to believe it. That was the only choice that would explain about all the monsters that were out there trying to eat her alive.

Aw, she felt _so_ special . . .

"I think," Allen said, his voice directed to Kalley as she looked at the view of the lake, her back turned to him. "You should start experimenting what you can do right now."

"What do you mean?" Kalley asked.

If they were going to start training, they'd better do it somewhere deeper in the forest; there might be more open space. Kalley made her way through the trees as Allen followed her.

In a few minutes of walking, the two reached a nice open clearing, with trees and some rocks surrounding the area.

"There are some times in which you can actually perform with sort of a natural ability," Allen explained. Hopefully this would get clearer in the end; Kalley was starting to get tired of him talking in riddles. "Other times, you have to experience something new or actually train up to that level to be able to master that task as time passes by."

Good. She got _that_ part.

At least he was speaking in English...

"Kalley, I'll be right back, okay? I'm just gonna go check on Elli, see how she's doing," Allen said, already walking away from the clearing that they hung out in. "maybe you can think of something while I'm gone."

"Okay..." she murmured, thinking of what to do.

Allen had already gone somewhere far, and she wasn't about to ask him any questions just yet. She understood what Allen was saying, but the only difficult thing to perform was just planning what she should try out _first_. It shouldn't be something that would affect someone near her, and Kalley needed Allen to help give his own input to what she was doing. The minutes stretched by as she tried to think and think of what to try out. But still, she thought of nothing.

"Why don't you try speed?" Allen suggested, his voice coming directly from behind Kalley.

Pretty quick. He was back in quite a short time. Or was it just her?

That one word really didn't register any sort of huge idea in Kalley's mind, but she knew what Allen was talking about.

After a few minutes of thinking, it felt as though a really big light bulb had blinked brightly in the back of her mind. Immediately, Kalley snatched a pebble from the ground and pelted it right at a tree about twenty-five feet away from her. The little pebble flew across, but obviously it wasn't going to reach its landmark in time.

_Just concentrate,_ a calm voice said in her mind.

Kalley felt a strange sensation, and after a moment's notice, she saw that the pebble was frozen in mid-air, spinning ever so slightly as it snailed forward. Kalley looked at Allen and saw that he was watching her and the pebble intently, as if taking everything in for the first time. Well . . . this _was_ the first time.

"Can you make it go faster than its usual rate?" Allen asked, wondering in amazement.

"I honestly do not know," Kalley admitted. _Well, let's try it, _she thought.

"Maybe you can use your hands too, like Elli," Allen piped up. "Body motions really help. And they look pretty awesome, too."

Not afraid to try the suggestion, Kalley raised her right hand, palm toward the stone that stood frozen in place. For some reason, she wasn't doing this to her own desire; it was as if her hand was on autopilot or something. It just felt right.

With a light flick of her wrist, Kalley saw the pebble race ahead, almost too fast for anyone to see. But, it wasn't just seeing it that made her feel this strange feeling. It was the way it felt. Kalley could feel the sensation of the small object rushing against the law of physics, could feel its rotation building up as it sped toward the tree. So this is what she could control. This could work for just about _anything._

Since Kalley had stopped it in mid-air and had increased its acceleration, the pebble was able to hit the tree right on. There was a huge smash and splintering of wood. Kalley glanced over, saw the look of astonishment and awe in Allen's face, and together, they raced toward the tree. It didn't take long. When they finally reached their destination, Kalley's eyes widened and Allen's jaw practically dropped open.

"Oh my gods, Kalley," he murmured. Right where the pebble was supposed to hit the tree, there was a small, bullet-like hole. The really amazing thing was that they could actually see through that hole, yet the pebble was nowhere to be found. Behind the tree, there happened to be another tree, but this time, there was a much bigger opening. It looked like something had bitten the tree itself. For a few moments, the two of them didn't really understand what was happening at the moment. They only continued to stare and analyze the huge and deadly looking impact that was made in the tree before them.

Again, a few feet behind the tree, was a boulder. Instead of a hole, though, there was a large, gaping crater that opened up. Kalley and Allen couldn't see through the other side, but it was enough to make their own minds shatter in awe and confusion.

"I get it,," Allen muttered.

"What is it?" Kalley asked, too stunned herself to be annoyed at what Allen wasn't telling her.

"I learned it long time ago," Allen said. "Ages ago, NASA -you know what that is right?- well, they built this _huge_ gun. It didn't look like a gun, but more like a tunnel. It was used to shoot bullets into layers of metal so that they could test which material would be the most durable against its force. The process was done because it was exactly the same situation that applied to a space craft in danger of being hit by small meteors or other objects in space. These objects can get as small as just a grain of sand, and with enough force it could shatter and destroy the whole space shuttle. NASA built this gun that shoots those kinds of bullets."

"That small, too?"

"Apparently."

"So?"

"Shut up, I'm getting to the point."

"Okay hurry up, or I'll leave."

"So NASA decided to test the machine out, with a bullet being shot through four sheets of 1 inch thick metal that where about four inches apart, each."

"What happened when it shot through?"

Allen gestured to what had happened to the two trees and the rock. "Same thing that happened here. The bullet, being give _so_ much force, shattered when it made contact with the first layer as it went through. As the bullet proceeded, its remains continued on to the second layer, making a bigger and more damaging hole and so on."

Allen finished all of this in...What, two breaths?

Kalley understood everything quite perfectly, but her only thought was, _I thought you were a son of Apollo, not Athena..._

"Well, look at you, smarty pants..."

"What! Don't blame me! My friend gave a huge lecture to me at camp in astronomy while we were at a campfire singing songs, and you know how children of Athena can get when they're interested in a subject they're _really_ into . . ." Allen sighed.

Kalley had a feeling that Camp Half-Blood was going to be an interesting and strange place to live in.

If they got there.

"If you were speaking in Chinese, I think it wouldn't make a difference whether you were talking about this or about a field trip to Canada."

"Hey, at least my friend wasn't interested in _architecture._ Seriously, that would've been sheer torture."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"Anyway, that's probably what happened to your pebble, Kalley," Allen continued, almost looking annoyed. Looking at the sky, Kalley saw that it was already starting to get dark. "I guess we're done for today," Allen said.

"Really? That felt like nothing," Kalley still felt fine, but after a few seconds, she could feel a small dizziness come to her head. Maybe she did feel something.

Fine, she'll rest.

Out in the distance, they heard a small yell from the lake. Elli was calling out to them. The sun was already starting to set and the air was turning colder. It wouldn't be a bad idea to head back to camp right now.

**{xxx}**

The three had ended the day by eating half of what was taken from the hotel (you know, cupcakes, bread, muffins, all that good stuff,). A warm fire sat crackling in the middle of their triangle. It was a good thing Allen knew how to make a fire, and Hermes was ever so kind enough to provide them with the materials needed. By that time the three had already decided that they wanted to sleep out in the open space ("Yeah, I'm not helping you pack again, Allen,"). The sky was really just too beautiful to resist.

The sun was down, and the sky was completely covered and dazzled with glittering, white stars. It was one of the most beautiful scenes of Kalley's life. San Diego had enough pollution (though not as much as Los Angeles) to cover up more than three quarters of the stars that shone in the sky during this night. Looking at the wonderful scene before her right now, Kalley really wished that she could stay here and stare at the sky forever long hours at a time.

She really wouldn't mind.

After a few minutes of saying _good-nights_, the first two that had gone to sleep were Elli and Gus. Kalley and Allen lay a few feet apart in their sleeping bags, their eyes gazing at the stars above them as they listened to Elli's soft and steady breathing.

"You know," Allen said, quietly enough so that only Kalley can hear. "She was training awfully hard today. I saw her when I left you to go check on her."

"I thought she was just hanging out in the lake," Kalley said. "like, getting some down time and relaxation."

"Same. But she was already out of the water, practicing really tedious and back breaking moves for even a professional sword fighter," Allen said. His eyes stared wonderingly at the sky as his chestnut colored hair ruffled while a wind blew past. "When she made a mistake wrong move, I can remember her groaning out loud, cursing at herself. Elli looked ready to collapse, but still she moved on. I guess . . .-"

"She's really pushing herself that hard?" Kalley asked. Then it all clicked. "Oh, because of last night . . ." Allen nodded.

"That's probably why she was so grumpy today. That's one thing different about her and Percy . . . " Allen was muttering to himself again, as Kalley rolled her eyes, wishing that Allen could see her face that was full of aggravation. "it seems as though she didn't want her friends to be burdened with anything that's actually happening to her. I guess that's why she's trying so hard. Percy was already naturally talented . . .-not that Elli isn't," Allen added quickly.

Kalley shrugged. "Maybe she's just different. Give her time,"

"Maybe," Allen said quietly as the two continued to look at the stars. The moon looked almost full, its bright aura shining back on the land. The fire nearby emitted huge amounts of warmth and a sort of cozy feeling. Kalley wouldn't mind doing this every day.

Kalley tried to close her eyes and sleep, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get herself to doze off. She looked at Allen and saw that his eyes were still gazing at the stars above, thinking.

"What do you see up there, anyway?" Kalley asked. Allen glanced back at her in surprise.

"You don't know what constellations are?" he asked, a tinge of amusement in his voice.

"I mean- I've heard of pictures in the sky before, but I don't see anything, as far as I can tell," Kalley said. The sky looked too crowded to have pictures in them. Connecting the dots would be just another helpless and confusing game to play at this time.

Then it looked like something caught Allen's eye, because at that moment he pointed his finger at the large cluster of stars that hovered up there in the glittering sky.

"There's a constellation. Orion. And Hercules . . . and . . . " He trailed off. His eyes were staring at the stars, mesmerized by the beautiful scene before them.

"Which is your favorite?" Kalley asked.

"I dunno. I don't have a favorite. But I really like the Phoenix," Allen said. He pointed at a region of stars off to the left. "Right there. The picture isn't much, and there isn't really a story that came with it, but it's still looks meaningful to me."

Nope. Nothing but a huge clump of dots.

So meaningful.

The two continued to stare at the sky, lost in their own thoughts. Kalley huddled in her sleeping bag as another cold wind whistled by.

"The Phoenix is a bird of rebirth, right?" Kalley asked, remembering all those times when she had free breaks or spent the whole day at the bakery with Dory. Dory . . . "It's life went on a repeated cycle every time, and in the end it always burned up and was reborn from its ashes, ready to start a new life once again."

Allen nodded. "But really, you don't know whether the part when the bird bursts into flame _is _the end. What if it's really the beginning?" Kalley never thought of that. "It means that everyone always has a chance . . . or a second chance. It didn't matter who they really were before in the past life. They didn't need to know anything."

"And they won't be blamed for anything they've done or caused." Kalley finished.

"Yeah, exactly," Allen murmured, as he looked at the stars. "Everyone has a chance to become a phoenix."

"Tell me more." Kalley said. She didn't know why, but for some reason she wanted to know more about the differently constellations up there.

"Hm? You're so interested now?"

"Just tell me." Kalley insisted. For a few moments, Allen seemed to be deep in thought as he looked at the stars. He looked like he was debating over which constellation to start with first.

"Well . . . There's another interesting constellation . . . Pegasus . . ." The voices of the two teenagers continued on as Allen told Kalley story after story, myth after myth.

It turned out that Allen was actually a pretty good raconteur.

I don't know how long they talked for, but it looked like both had a pretty great and relaxing time. It soon became something that took their minds off of more worrying things. The fire crackled endlessly as more and more legends of valiant heroes and deadly monsters were told, the glowing embers dancing in the firelight. With each story that was told, each legend that was said, the sky continued to look more beautiful and breathtaking.

The night continued on like this, as the stars continued to unravel the mysteries being shown and told about their bright past.

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**Please review.**

**-Olo Eopia03**


	11. Chapter 11: Blind Decisions

**We meet again, fellow readers!**

**Oh yeah, and here's chapter 11 btw. This, for me, was suppose to be a short chapter about what's going on as our three main characters are continuing their journey, but as I went back through the chapter, I REALLY wanted to add more stuff... and it turned out to be 4,000 words more than estimated xP**

**woops. **

**If you guys don't like my long chapters, please let me know.**

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**Thanks to...**

**-ConcreteAngelRoxHerHalo for giving me great advice on how to continue my story! Thanks for reading it and giving your honest input on it! :)**

**-2coolwriter who's still out there (I think) but he (or she?)'s still with me and my story for quite a while now! Thanks :D**

**-This guy named Will? yeah, Will. Okay. Thanks, :D You really surprised me when no one was reviewing my story. I thought I was going to discontinue this story when TADA! a review from you! Thanks :DDD you encouraged me a whole lot!**

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**And we continue...**

**Chapter 11 in the house!**

**-Olo Eopia03 **

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Chapter 11: Blind Decisions

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'_Kill the heir.'_

_What did that mean? What good does it do to them?_

Chiron just shook his head in dismay as he ran through the memory of the encounter with Hermes only a few days ago. Before, he had just finished a nice conversation with Allen, and little did both of them know that two children were going to go on a dangerous quest, a mission to save a child.

A child who has the power to destroy the whole of Greek civilization.

Or can the heir save them all?

Today the centaur was sitting in his magic wheelchair, staring at his desk as he finished up the remaining work late into the night. As Chiron glanced at the golden grandfather clock nearby, he saw that the hour hand was on the brink of reaching midnight.

Then he remembered (he didn't know why he remembered, but he just did). The memory and argument itself just wouldn't push itself out of Chiron's mind.

It had been quite a normal and relaxing day . . . Until _he_ came. _He,_ the speaker and representative of the most powerful gods in Greek civilization. _He,_ whose son had betrayed them so long ago, yet had earned forgiveness while the young man had breathed his last breath on the solid floors of Olympus. Even Luke was forgiven. Luke was forgiven for every bad and wretched thing he did that could've destroyed the world.

Even just a mere demigod who had suddenly turned bad was horrible enough (seriously). But what was Chiron getting at? As he tried to dig deeper into the mysteries that surrounded the heir, he could still feel the frustrating questions overflowing out continuously and burning them into his mind. He needed to know. Or was it just his own desire?

Chiron remembered the ominous timing the messenger of the gods had arrived during, the grim and inscrutable face, the strangely quiet caduceus with the two not-so-harmful snakes, George and Martha, intertwined around its strong and sturdy staff. Hermes hadn't even bothered to let Chiron know that he was going to visit Camp Half-Blood. Allen had just opened the door and _boom_, there he was.

Just.

Like.

That.

It had been a cold and windy night that day, and after Hermes had left there was quite a storm that had stirred up the whole camp. Just Hermes coming alone during the night was already a bad sign to him. _Everything_ seemed like a bad sign nowadays . . .

Chiron sighed. The wrinkles around his eyes were already creasing with worry. His desk that he had been sitting in front of for the past couple of hours had looked more cluttered than he had ever seen in his life, and the mess really wasn't to his liking.

A cracked ruler here. A dusty book over there. Broken pencils and different colored pens (that probably didn't have any ink in them) were scattered randomly all over the place. The papers were crumpled and strewn across the desk and others even stuck out of the drawers in the desk. There even seemed to be a coffee stain on one of them, and it didn't look that old either. Dozens of torn elastic rubber bands were littered all over the corners of the desk. The metal waste basket underneath the desk was overflowing with fistfuls of torn and balled up pieces of paper. Broken forty-five records of Frank Sinatra were cracked on the floor, and dozens of records were already spread out messily all over his desk. Shattered pieces of the black CDs were all over the place. Many other unnecessary things were piled unceremoniously on top of each other. It was already hard and kind of frightening to imagine what was actually inside the drawers themselves . . .

To Chiron, it looked as though a huge and very ruinous battle had recently occurred, and no one even bothered to try and fix the conditions around them.

In short, the desk was a complete mess. But Chiron didn't try to clean it up. No matter how easy it was to tidy the table, it was _not_ easy to fix things during these times right now.

It was _never_ easy.

Rubbing his temples, Chiron went over the situation once more. This was starting to get _really _confusing. Did it always have to be this hard?

_Why? How could they do this? _Chiron thought.

What if the gods were making a mistake? Although they've lived for thousands of years, even centuries, and the gods always tend to repeat their mistakes. They can do it even more than twice if they wanted to (even if it wasn't intentional). If Kronos is rising, wouldn't trying their best just to kill the heir hinder and even weaken their own powers? The heir, if on the wrong side, could be their worst enemy.

But he or she can also be their best and kindest friend. Their ally. Helper. _Leader_. Maybe the gods were confused themselves_._ They can't possibly try to stop him or her. They don't even know who that child is.

_We don't even know how strong that child might be, _Chiron thought.

The clock struck twelve.

After moments of thinking, Chiron still couldn't get over the fact that this heir actually existed and is in this world, _right now._ He or she might be different, yes, but alone? No. Even when Allen or Elli wasn't with the child, he or she might still be watched over . . . or was it the child just being watched? Watched like a predator prowling insidiously towards its prey. The poor child. The heir will never lead a normal life. The child's journey will be filled with twists and turns, and the child will never know when that moment of failure will ever end.

Yup, even demigods tend to have that kind of life.

The child must be like Thalia. Or Percy. Chiron's mind filled with sadness and pride for the two heroes that he was able to mentor over the years. What if it's similar to that? Sure, that child can cause another world war through the ages . . . but . . . The heir can't possibly be killed. He or she's still human (well, _half _human . . .). Everyone must have their own choice, at least.

_I wish I could help you,_ Chiron thought, _I really wish I could._

What if the heir ends up saving the world instead?

Last time, Kronos tried to swallow up the gods. Kronos wanted to murder his own children because he was too greedy for his own power.

And yet his pride had outwitted him. His carelessness and even rashness was just the key that had been the cause to his cruel and wretched life in Tartarus. If Kronos had tried so hard to end the lives of the Olympians, won't the Titan Lord himself want to kill this child? This heir might be too powerful after all. How did the heir get away in the first place? This was definitely something to be thought of as strange.

That didn't seem as unnerving as the next thought. _The heir has been in the world for at least a decade or more, right? _

Why hadn't Chiron heard of this before? Surely he could've known about this problem a few years after the heir was even born. His or her mother must've done something very extraordinary to escape any sort of detection from anyone. What happened?

This child is definitely a special one. If only . . .

They can't do this. The child must never come to Camp Half-Blood.

The gods want to kill the heir. It's another repeat of the past. If the child comes here, then it will certainly be the end of the gods themselves. It might be another distraction for the Titan Lord to attack Olympus.

"No," Chiron just realized what was happening. He felt his heart rate increase by . . . well, you could say that it increased by _a lot_. Chiron's knuckles were turning white as his fists clenched tightly onto the armrests of his stationary wheelchair. Did all of the gods fail to notice this? Or did they really not have a choice?

Yeah. What if they _didn't_ have a choice? Maybe the Olympians want to kill the child themselves, to see that the job was done correctly. Chiron shuddered in discomfort, shaking his head once more. If the child was placed in the wrong hands, it _will_ be the end. Having a child like that around was extremely rare and dangerous, and could change the future of Olympus itself.

But what if _they_ got to the heir first? After all, Allen and Elli are with the child now. They can't possibly let the heir turn his or her back to them without a fight.

They better not.

**{xxx}**

"_Allen," Chiron said. It was almost time for their departure, and they were standing on the grassy borders of camp. Allen told him a few moments before that they didn't need the help of a satyr; if they were lucky, the heir might find them first. Besides, all the satyrs, or protectors, were gone, spread all over the United States, and did not have enough time to be informed of another demi . . . titan being located in San Diego. _

_Oh well._

_Chiron remembered seeing Allen high-five and fist pounded his best friends and "brothers" good bye as he walked away from the Apollo cabin. He remembered Elli being hugged by her own buddies from the Hecate cabin, Hephaestus cabin, and even a few from the Athena cabin. Chiron himself couldn't help but feel a kind of affection for the two. Allen and Elli were two of the most reliable and maybe even powerful and strongest demigods in the whole of Camp Half-Blood. Without them, Chiron didn't know who he would choose to go and take on this journey. _

_Allen was smart, naturally athletic, and his skill in archery was impeccable. He reminded Chiron of a real living Robin Hood, or the famous Paris from the Battle of Troy himself. That was how good and amazing Allen was. He could shoot multiple arrows and every single projectile will hit its target, whether moving or not. Even Chiron didn't have anything else to help him improve on his talent. He could even rival the Hunters, if he was willing to himself. The only problem in this was the speed of the target that Allen was aiming at. Some very frightening and powerful monsters (who were bound to appear on their path while they were traveling back to camp) could be incredibly fast; Allen had never faced anything outside of Camp Half-Blood before. The most dangerous things he'd ever shot were moving dummies or flying disks that were used as targets. _

_Elli was powerful. She could summon almost twice as much power than any tidal wave that existed on the world. Seeing Elli go through the training he had set for her (which was horribly back breaking for even someone like her), Chiron knew that she was just the person to come on this mission. She'd trained almost every day for this. And she had a good spirit and a strong heart. It reminded Chiron of Percy Jackson himself. Almost nothing can stand in her way if she persevered to do her very best. The only thing she needed to worry about was her fatal flaw (if she had the same one as the child of the sea god before her), and drawing monsters toward them; her godly aura seemed to be quite strong as well. _

_The two of them were going to go on a very different journey, now that their own lives are intertwined with that of the heir's own destiny. Both might even be essential for the sake of the whole world. _

_Elli and the two pegasi were already standing there as Allen and Chiron approached them. The weather today was perfect. The air smelled fresh as white fluffy clouds hovered lazily in the baby blue sky. The wind weaved through the tall blades of green grass. Allen looked at Chiron. "You cannot let us down in this. The heir is our key to either success...or failure." _

_Allen nodded, smiling as he looked at Elli, who was busy stroking a Pegasus' immaculate white mane. She seemed to be talking to it, even chatting a little as she continued to feed the winged horse a couple of sugar cubes. It reminded Allen of the conversations he himself had had with Gus, who was perched on his right shoulder at the time. "Don't worry, Chiron. I'll contact you daily and make sure we find the heir soon."_

"_Hey Chiron, can you take care of this?" Elli had bounced over to them as Allen and the centaur were talking. In her hand was her own Camp Half-Blood necklace, with four beads hanging loosely on the string. She was looking at Chiron as though she needed him to care for this necklace with all his might. "I don't want it to get lost. You can say it really means a lot to me." Elli smiled. _

_Yes, Chiron knew. _

"_I guess I'll do the same." Allen said as he slowly unfastened his own necklace that was tied around his neck. Chiron smiled gently as the two handed him their necklaces. It was a signature, an identification for them. The necklaces were the only things that connected them with they chose to stay. Camp Half-Blood was their home. _

"_Hopefully Zeus will keep you safe in the air. He will immediately know that you are riding in his territory. Do you have everything Hermes provided you with?" Chiron asked with concern. Both of them nodded as they started to mount each of the winged horses. "I expect to see you soon."_

"_Us too, Chiron," Allen replied back as he looked at Chiron in the eye. "We'll contact you as soon as we find the heir." _

"_Hurry up Allen," Elli piped up. Both the horse and the little girl were already a few feet of the ground. _

"_Elli, be patient." Chiron said, with a soft note of gentleness in his voice. She had learned so much in the past years that it was quite amazing to see her grow so fast, even though she was only ten years old. "Use everything that you learned in training." _

"_Yes, Chiron," Elli said happily, "It's what I've trained to _do._"_

_Chiron nodded. She understood the situation they were in perfectly, no matter how lightly she seemed to be talking about it. _

'_Take care of her,' he seemed to be thinking as he looked at Allen, trying to communicate those words toward him with only his grave facial expression. Sometimes his best students could understand him completely. He trusted those students. Seeming to understand, Allen nodded, mouthing, 'I will.'_

"_Now go," Chiron said, as the Pegasus Allen was riding on rose off the ground to join Elli. "Remember what you are doing."_

_The two winged horses flew away, and Chiron watched them leave until they were nothing but two minuscule specks in the vast blue sky. He really hoped both of them knew what to do. _

'_Just come back . . . alive." _

**{xxx}**

On the right corner on his desk, lay a single drachma. The coin seemed to almost fall off the desk, but Chiron did not let it escape from his vision, even though it was underneath a few sheets of crumpled paper. He needed to let Allen know about this first. His hand inched forward toward it. But . . . _Where are they?_ Chiron's hand froze on the spot. In order to contact them, he must tell Isis an area or region they would be in.

Where _was_ he, anyway? Allen's intelligent, caring, neat, and even a responsible young man. He even listens to classical music compared to most people. It's been four days since they've found the child of Kronos. Surely Allen should've contacted Chiron to let him know what was going on by now? Maybe something happened to them...

No. He mustn't think of _that. _

Not now.

If he can't contact Allen or Elli, then Chiron would just see Olympus. Convince them. Tell them that this was some sort of mistake that was slowly being repeated from the looked at the computer_-_like device in front of him.

The screen was in the shape of a shield, attached to a very fancy, bronze keyboard and mouse. Its connection wasn't that bad either. A talented Hephaestus child made this for him after the Titan War. You can contact anyone without actually being killed if you use an electronic device (for example, you seriously wouldn't want to look up the word _Chimera_ on Google or something. Definitely not a pleasant experience . . .). The Wi-Fi was pretty good around the place too. Camp Half-Blood needed to step up a notch in technology, and now would be a pretty good time.

It was actually quite a smart idea.

_Okay. Enough of the distractions,_ Chiron thought as he moused his way across the screen in order to contact Olympus. In only a few moments a big window popped out, with an image of the Olympians sitting in a wide circle. Fortunately, they were all in their human-like forms. Chiron counted himself lucky that he wasn't evaporated into dust if they had taken their own godly forms. The twelve were already seated in their very own thrones, with Zeus and Hera located in the center of the majestic hall.

The great hall of Olympus looked amazing; light filled to the very top of the room as the white pillars of Greek architecture stood there with magnificent grandeur and glory. The hall looked big enough to fit the whole area of Camp Half-Blood itself, with its massive ceiling shining in pure brightness. The engraved walls were a nice, bright shade of white, and the floor was tiled with marble and other very beautiful minerals. Chiron's been here almost too many times to count, but he never got tired of looking at this jaw dropping spectacle.

The only worrying thing was that Chiron had accidentally butted into one of their arguments, and apparently a heated one too. The altercation seemed to be taking place between not just two particular gods, but all of them. Every Olympian's face was red with anger or stressed with so much intensity. The air in the hall felt like it was going to sizzle, and Chiron wasn't even in the room _completely. _This must've been a bad time to come in.

_No duh,_ Chiron could almost clearly hear Mr. D's voice in the background.

With the huge and powerful lightning bolt at his side, Zeus looked ready to cast an extremely dangerous thunderstorm in the hall himself . . . and Chiron really would not want to experience another repeat of _that._

"We cannot let him win, Athena! We never have, and we never _will_!" the god of the sky roared, his face contorted with rage and despise.

"_He _is the enemy, Zeus. Not the heir!" Athena hissed back.

"But if the heir is defeated, Kronos will have no one to continue his work," Hera argued back.

"But why not use the child?" Apollo asked. "The child can have the power to destroy him too," Another murmur seemed to go through the crowd of Olympians. The conversation didn't seem to end. It just rambled on and on as the gods continued to discuss.

None were interrupted as much; at least they were a little civilized enough. This would mean that they wouldn't start a war between themselves yet.

Yet.

"Whoever he or she may be," Aphrodite piped up (it was so unlike her to join these types of conversations, when she can be busy filing her nails or something . . .). "The heir might want to have a choice . . . us, or Kronos."

Athena nodded, and said, "The heir is merely a distraction for Kronos to attack-"

"And his only hope!" Poseidon boomed aloud. It seemed that this time, the sea god was actually siding with his brother. Having two of the leading gods of Olympus agree on one firm and unyielding choice could already win in a vote against the rest of the gods. Sometimes the Big Three had their ways.

Athena glared at him with renewed hatred (other than her original kind of hatred for him, of course). Poseidon ignored her. Hadn't he always? "If the heir survives and is somehow in league with Kronos,-"

"It will be the end of the gods!" Hephaestus bellowed, his eyes blazing like the hottest and brightest coals that had just sizzled out from a very hot and blazing fire. Sometimes Hephaestus looked like he could already burn or even fry something to pieces just by looking at the object with his very own eyes.

"Rip the child to pieces!" Ares snarled, his vermilion red armor glowing with a deadly aura. "Kill the heir!"

The hall was instantly in a flurry of confusion, with the gods shouting and yelling amongst each other the ground of Olympus seemed to crack as it shook with surprising energy. It was as if all hell had broken loose. Or was it the whole of the Underworld?

Never mind about being civilized.

As the pandemonium raged on, thunder boomed deafeningly and the air was soon filled with the smell of blood and tinged with crimson. The scene was devastating. Chiron had never seen the gods so . . . uncontrolled. During his whole life (and that was a _long _time), Chiron had always thought that during hard times like these the Olympians would at _least_ be less tensed than how they were feeling right now.

But this was the first time a child of a _Titan _had existed into the world. Maybe it really _was_ something to worry about.

Go figure.

It was only after a couple of minutes when Hermes, messenger of the gods, rested his eyes on the simple yet blurry holographic image of Chiron, who was patiently taking in all that was being said. To Chiron, Hermes looked a little irritated, as if a little insect had just bit him. _Am I starting to look like a mere annoyance to him now?_

"What is it that you have come for, mentor of all heroes?Do you come to bring us any news or only more questions that need to be answered_?_" Hermes asked as the hall quieted to his question. All eyes turned on the centaur.

What can he say now?

"Zeus," Chiron began, clearing his throat. Here goes nothing... "You can't kill the heir. Please, you mustn't." The air of the hall seemed to be crackling and heating up with sheer power (and to imagine Chiron was only a holographic image in the room). Before another uproar could be incited, Zeus lifted up his hand to stop them.

"And why is that?" he asked intently. Zeus' face had just the right features to show that he was obviously the leader, and king of the gods. The way the eyes and nose were finely carved, and his mien giving off a strong aura that had showed a huge amount of confidence. Zeus seemed to be a natural leader who can always lead his comrades to a battle of triumph victory, although this was not always the case.

The god's electric blue eyes stared at him with so much striking intensity that Chiron could imagine himself getting fried just by glancing back at the god.

"The heir is merely a child. He or she is like your daughter, Thalia, from before. The child can be like Percy from all those years ago," it sounded as though Chiron was pleading. "Don't you remember what Percy did for all of us? He protected the _whole _world. He saved his friends, his family. Even you. Destroying the child wouldn't help any of you at all."

The whole hall became quiet for a few minutes. It looked as though neither of the gods there knew exactly what to say.

"The teacher has some sense, your majesty," Hestia said, breaking the continuous silence. She was sitting at her usual place, tending to the hearth as she watched the gods argue only a few minutes before. Lady Hestia always seemed to be the one who made staying in Olympus for even a couple of minutes at least bearable. Thank gods she was here. What were they thinking? All the Olympians had their eyes straight on Zeus. That's where it always ended up in. It seemed like he would be the one to decide now.

"I'm sorry," Zeus said quietly as the rest of the god_s _murmured, their faces now facing forward toward Chiron. It was as if Zeus hadn't listened to Hestia. "But we don't know if this heir can be _good_ or not. The-"

"The heir is only a child!" Chiron pleaded again. This time Chiron did not hold back the note of helplessness in his voice.

He was getting desperate.

"And it's best if the heir stays unaware of the fact that he or shecan destroy us all!" Zeus said, his anger flaring once again. The air around the hall seemed to have gotten tighter, hotter. Zeus' face seemed to be burning with rage. The rest of the gods only continued to listen to the words that were being said. They did not want to fight with the king of the gods, especially when he was like this. Had Chiron gone too far? "The only choice now is to execute the child, before Kronos gains any sort of power. The Titan is the biggest problem we have right now, and we shouldn't be wasting our time arguing about this. Now be gone, Chiron! This matter will be discussed even further, this time _without you_."

In the next moment the god swiped his hand over at the flickering image of Chiron, and immediately the screen of the computer went completely pitch black.

Instantly, Chiron realized that he was back in his office, the image of Olympus now gone. The conversation had been so real... Chiron wished that it had never happened.

Wait. It _was_ real.

The centaur sighed in dismay. He felt as though he wanted to slam his fist down on the desk in didn't care of all the debris that was lying all over his desk. It was so impossibly and painfully nerve racking that he felt like he wanted to even shout at a wall (and who cares if it sounded foolish.).

But what can he do?

_I'll just have to deal with what I have right now._ Chiron thought. However, this almost seemed impossible. For every fact that Chiron had, a thousand questions would always bloom in a few seconds.

How did the heir escape from the gods?

_Well, the child needs to do it again, no matter what happens right now. _

He must warn Allen, it's too late. It can't be too late. Not now. When Allen comes back, he will inform him to run away with the child, _away _from Olympus. But he must _not_ let the heir know the purpose of this plan. Where is Kronos, and why did he not find the heir in the first place? How did the child escape from his tight and unremitting clutches? _This could be a time when the child discovers his or her own past as well._

Preventing the heir from reaching Camp Half-Blood is already not an option. Even now, Chiron was _still_ running out of options_. _Chiron didn't even know where the three are in the United States... If only they could contact him sooner!

He will just have to trust them... Yeah, that wasn't so bad. Let them be the ones who would decide the fate of the whole world.

Oh joy.

Something caught Chiron's eye. As he looked over to the left side of his desk, he saw the two Camp Half-Blood necklaces lying there, and instantly Chiron hoped that both of them would come back here.

_I'm counting on you, Allen._

Either way, it'd always get clearer in the end whether it's good or bad.

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**Review.**

**-Olo Eopia03 **


	12. Chapter 12: Silver Locket

**Hi guys :) Chapter 12 is finally here! **

**Sorry for taking a while. This one's shorter than most, but I think it's okay. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Thanks Will, ConcreteAngleRoxHerHalo, and... Anonymous! You're still reading my story! For that, I'm HAPPY :DDD**

**Again, I'm gonna ask you guys,**

**PICK AN INSTRUMENT!-**

**Violin, ****Cello, ****or ****Piano?**

**Thanks :D **

**-Olo Eopia03 **

* * *

Chapter 12: Silver Locket

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_ It was the same teenager; the same young man, but in a different location. Instead of a big dark hall, he was in a small room. Everything that surrounded the younger boy looked bare. There weren't any pictures, bright colored bed sheets, cute toys, colorful curtains, or anything that had the ability to make this place look more cheerful. The room didn't even have any windows for sunlight to go through. It was so dark, except for the glowing lamp on the desk where Knox was sitting. The walls and floor were made of wood, the kind of wood that could turn old easily and creak noisily as years passed. More spider webs decorated the corners and areas on the low ceiling. There were chinks and crannies in the wall with dirt and dust sitting inside them. _

_It almost looked as bad as Kalley's old apartment._

_ And that _definitely_ was not cool. _

_Knox just sitting there, obviously looking upset by something. He still had his jet black fedora hat on where his spiky blond hair shone underneath, but this time he was wearing something different. The navy blue colored wind breaker was tossed onto a chair to the side. He was wearing a dark brown shirt. Knox also wore black skinny jeans, and dark colored sneakers. _

_Kalley didn't know exactly where she was (and she hoped that nobody could see her right now at this time), but at least now she could see the boy's face. _

_That was a new improvement to the whole dream thing._

_Or was it really a nightmare?_

_He looked angry. Knox's left fist was clenched on the side of the table as his right hand clutched tightly on a worn pencil. The utensil moved slowly across a yellow page of an open old book. Kalley tried to read the words, but frustratingly, the letters seemed to dance before her eyes. _

Agh. Just screw it,_ Kalley thought in annoyance as she gave up after a few moments of trying. _

_Knox seemed to be muttering to himself, maybe even cursing to himself. His teeth were grinding quietly while eye brows were arched downward, indicating a very upset and bothered expression. _

_His eyes were such a dark color that Kalley couldn't tell whether they were pitch black or they were just really _really _dark brown. They were so dark, hard, and cold that it looked almost scary, which made Kalley uncomfortable. Hopefully it wasn't just a plain shade of black. His eyes looked like they had no warmth in them. _

_They looked like two miniature pools of pure emptiness. _

_Or was there a little bit of light in there?_

_ The older boy was holding something in his left hand . . . a locket? The silver chain hung limply from his closed fist, the ends snaking loosely from his fingers. Knox eyed it as twisted his fist so that he could take a better look at it. He opened his hand. _

_Yes. It was a locket; a round, silver locket with intricate patterns carved near the edges._

_Good job, Captain Know-It-All!_

_Slowly, his fingers snapped the top open, revealing two people smiling happily. It looked like one of those memorial photos (you know?), like the ones that someone would hang up if that person's funeral had taken place. _

_Kalley noticed only vaguely that she could see better now; now she's able to angle herself so that she could see the front of the locket. _

_Hello, perspective. _

_Knox opened the locket only to see two young people smiling at him. The picture looked quite recent. A girl with hazel colored eyes and wavy blond hair looked like she was in mid-laugh. The girl looked like she was a little older than Kalley, but not by much. Her head rested on the shoulder of another boy, who seemed to be around a head taller than her. _

_Kalley noticed that the boy was a spitting image of Knox. _

_No, that _is_ Knox, you idiot. _

_ The boy in the picture stood there, smiling with his hand around the girl's shoulder. The first time Kalley had laid her eyes on Knox, it looked as though he never knew what it was like to feel joyful. Seeing the picture of the boy now, it looked as though the smile could so easily return. _

_It looked so warm . . ._

_ In the picture, Knox wasn't wearing the same hat as before. In fact, he was wearing an outfit that looked completely different than what he was wearing right now. The older boy did not have a hat. His hair looked neatly cut, looking not too long, but also appearing not too short either. He wore a bright yellow shirt and white shorts, which seemed to soften his appearance even more. Knox's eyes looked different somehow. They _were _quite dark -the same as before- . . . but . . . Now it looked like the two eyes held some happiness in them. _

_Scratch that. It practically held loads of joy in them. Knox's face looked relaxed, and along with his care-free smile, it seemed like nothing was going to go wrong at all. _

_His other hand, the one that wasn't around the shoulders of the girl, was holding the girl's left hand. _

_ But just as the locket had opened, the lid quickly snapped closed, where the image looked only like an evanescent memory to Kalley. The older boy's expression was stiff and stoic-looking. _

_But . . . It looked as though his heart wanted to break, to give in to all the sadness that surrounded him. Kalley didn't know what was going on, but she could easily tell that something was troubling the poor guy._

_Were his eyes glistening?_

_Quickly, he stuffed the locket into his right pocket, as if he just wanted to forget what he had just seen. _

_If only-_

_ "Knox," a voice whispered, the ominous hisses reverberating in the room. Kalley almost jumped (if it were even possible to actually do that in her state...) in fright. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Knox looked up from where he was writing, all expressions and emotions gone from his face, as he casually closed the book and stood up from the wooden chair he was sitting on. "It is almost time,"_

_The older boy got up and took hold of his jacket, placing the small journal in the inside pocket. Slowly, he put on the jacket, and in the right pocket he pulled out a small pocket knife. "We have to find her, then." _

_It wasn't a question, but a statement. Apparently, this boy didn't like to be ordered around that much. _

_His voice sounded cold and deep, as if he always kept on his guard. _

_ "Soon Knox... Soon..." the hiss continued. "They will arrive soon... Clear the way for them, Knox. Protect them from everything except for the mere interference that might happen. Soon it's going to get quite... interesting."_

_"I believe that I must practice once more, sir," Knox said curtly. _

_"Oh?" the voice sounded amused. However, it did not lose the tinge of disgust and cruelty in his (it _is_ a his, right?) voice. Kalley shuddered. "Are you finally having an interest for killing unmercifully now, Knox? You _were_ always unusually soft on them." _

_Knox did not reply. It looked like he just wanted to get everything over with. Who was he, anyway? Why does Kalley always see him in her dreams?_  
Well, he defi-

_Knox raised his left hand, and a bright holographic image sprouted from his palm. It was an image of her. Kalley. She looked like she was running away from something. But this time, however, she was running alongside with Knox. _

_Where did they get that?_

"_If I find her,-" Knox said._

"_Then you can find whatever you seek, yes," the voice whispered, sounding closer than before. Knox nodded slowly; the image vanished from sight. Slowly, Kalley saw the pocket knife that the boy was holding snap open. It looked strangely like the one she'd seen before. And she'd only seen one knife that ever looked like that. Gradually, the small blade elongated, until it reached its full size. The teenager now held a deadly blade in his hands, with the hilt of the sword glowing a malicious bloody red. It made Kalley want to back away in fear. "The future is very important, Knox. But she can help you find the past,"_

_The room seemed to get darker and colder, like it always had in Kalley's dreams. The lamp in the back of the room flickered slightly, but that didn't really faze Knox. This was almost creepier than a haunted mansion. _

_Yeah, more creepy than those ones in Disneyland. _

_At least now she's aware that they might not be able to see her, but she didn't understand how she got here in the first place._

_Strange . . ._

_What did that voice mean about the future? Okay, anything you do right now will affect the future, and the future always holds the end result. Duh. But what about the past? _

Who cares,_ Kalley thought as she watched Knox put on the black hat, where the brim of the hat created a shadow that was casted over his eyes. It made him look sort of darker, more mysterious than he actually was right now. _I'll take my time, and see what happens next.

_The voice continued, snickering in wretched delight. Kalley seriously hated that voice now. Where was the other one though? Maybe it took a break and went to watch a nice movie outside. Or maybe it went to the doctor to ask about its . . . is there a syndrome or disease for stuttering too much?_

_Yeah, right. _

"_Knox," the voice said. The older boy looked up from where he was standing. _

"_Kill them. Kill all of them." the voice said harshly. Then it laughed and cackled as its raspy and knife grating voice echoed through the darkness. The sound was almost painful to Kalley's ears. But that didn't stop the fear that was escaping from her body. "Kill all of them! Kill! Kill!-"_

Kalley jerked up from her sleep, looking around in panic as she tried to take a moment to reorient herself.

Where was she?

What happened to Knox?

Relief came flooding over her as she finally recognized her surroundings. The lake sparkled beautifully as the sun shone out through the clouds in the sky. A small splash came from the pool of water. Elli seemed to spend most of her life underwater. Kalley wondered how long she'd already been in there. What time was it? Kalley'd probably never slept this late before.

_10:54 AM, _Kalley realized.

"Finally, you're awake. We're going to leave this place in the afternoon after Elli gets out of the lake and contacts Chiron," Allen's voice piped out from behind her. She stood up to look where he was standing, seeing that he was already rolling up his sleeping bag. Allen looked like he had a pretty good sleep, and it seems like every early morning he wanted to be up and about. When he looked at her, his face suddenly changed from cheerfulness to pure concern. "Hey, is there anything wrong? You look kinda pale.."

"It's nothing," Kalley muttered.

"Yeah, of course it's nothing." Allen said. He laid both of his hands gently on her shoulders. Their faces were only a few inches apart as his chocolate brown eyes searched her face with any signs or emotions that might help him. Even though he couldn't really read her all that well, it seemed like Allen knew how Kalley was feeling. Every time. Maybe it's just him.

Kalley never really realized how much taller Allen was. It wasn't much, but she could tell that he was at least a few inches taller than her. "What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes staring deeply into her own.

Should Kalley tell him?

"It's just a dream," Kalley insisted, as she pulled away from his grip. Well, yeah. It really _was_ a dream. It can't be that real, right?

"Fine. Just a dream. Okay." Allen shook his head. "You know that we have dreams too, right? Demigods tend to have visions that actually _mean _something." He turned away from her as he cleaned up the remains of the fire from last night. "Kalley, it's _never _just a dream."

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**Review.**

**-Olo Eopia03**


	13. Chapter 13: Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**Dear readers, I would like to ask if I am wasting my time writing this story. I know I've come pretty far in this, and I still have some pretty good ideas in store for this story. I have also started another story that goes well with this one, but so far, not so much luck as before. Please give me your input, whether the chapters are too long or if you think my writing style is that bad. **

**I'm also coming very close to discontinuing this story. **

**To my faithful readers, I'm sorry I haven't been updating for around two weeks now, but ever since the approach of that awesome last and final Harry Potter movie got nearer, I decided to halt everything that I was doing and read the series again before I watch (yes, I'm a HUGE fan... you have no idea). Now I am back to my old self, and hope that this story does not need to be discontinued. If it does, I am so sorry and ashamed for not fulfilling my promise that I made in my profile. It's just that I feel that the life of this story will not go on if it is not continued to be appreciated. I am especially sorry towards my readers who have been following my characters all the way. I was only inspired to write my stories because of you guys. Please forgive me.**

**I guess I might keep writing, but I don't think I see a point yet in adding a chapter. **

**Please check out my other story if you read this, _The Dark Tide._ I'm sure you might be able to enjoy that one. And to those of you who hate ridiculously long chapters, that's not too bad. _The Dark Tide_ is a story that I intend only to include short chapters because it is like a story that can be read without reading the original FanFic, but can be added to its plot line. **

**How will you know if I publish another chapter? I guess it all counts on your reviews guys, because that's the only thing that actually keeps this thing going. **

**Thanks, and hope for the best.**

**-Olo Eopia03**


	14. Chapter 14: Ania and Lupa

**I'm back :) Thank you for the support, you guys. I really wasn't sure whether or not to continue!**

**First of all, SPECIAL THANKS to ConcreteAngelRoxHerHalo and Will! Seriously you guys! You're my favorite readers! Will! Thanks for always being there! **

**And everyone! please, if you read this, check out the stories that ****ConcreteAngelRoxHerHalo writes as well! She's one of the few authors that I know who writes really well :)**

**Okay. Now. This story is _finally _unfolding. :) It's actually barely begun, don't you guys think? It _is_ hard to get them back to camp. But this chapter is particularly sad . . . and I believe it has a little bit of an angsty side to it o.o **

**Also, check out my other story as well! The Dark Tide . It's getting lonely :) and it relates to this story. However, I think I'm really going to connect them. Something just clicked in my head, and now there's this wonderful idea I have! You don't need to read it, but I think it's really cool to see how they're connected. Well . . . they're not connected yet xP I haven't written much in that story. **

**Oh well :) but keep reading!**

**Review**

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 14: Ania and Lupa

* * *

Allen turned back to examine his work after cleaning the fire. Gus laid next to the spot he had just cleaned in a sitting position, looking up expectantly at Allen. It looked as though there hadn't been a fire there to begin with. Next, he would have to pack up the tent, but Allen didn't mind; it wouldn't take very long, anyway.

_Yeah, it really is never just a dream, Kalley. _

He turned back to face her, only to find himself narrowly missing a hand that looked as though it wanted to clout him against the ears.  
"Whoa," Allen said, almost stumbling back as he looked back at Kalley.

Gus squeaked nearby, scurrying quickly backward as he retreated back into the tent. Allen almost felt the same way. He almost thought he heard him say the words, _Ak! Gotta go!_

_ Fine, leave me here to face the dragon here by myself, _Allen shot back in his mind, knowing that Gus would hear him. _Coward..._  
_ I'm not a cow! _Allen heard Gus squeak back.

Before Allen could make an exasperated retort, he saw that Kalley's eyes were gleaming with ferocity and anger.

Allen only eyed her questioningly. "Wha-"

"You shouldn't always butt in like that, you know," she said hotly, aiming another blow at him. Allen only had seconds to dodge the hit before Kalley continued, "It's not like you're always there to make things right again!"  
"Oh, yeah?-"

"Yes, it's just a dream!"

"When did you ever feel good, Kalley? You certainly don't look like it," Allen said as he thrust up his arms in a helpless position to show that he didn't mean any harm.

What he said was true. Her hair was tangled and messy, with twigs and bits of leaves sticking out oddly from the back of her head. Even though they had slept comfortably last night, there were still dark shadows that circled beneath her dark brown eyes. Her jeans were just as ripped and torn as Allen's, and Allen didn't need to know that by looking at Kalley he looked just as bad.

"Why do you care so much then?-"

"Because we're just like you, Kalley!" Allen said earnestly, desperate for her to listen, "We have dreams too-"

"Do you? Did you have one last night?" Kalley countered back, the fire raging in her eyes.

"Well, no-"

"So what do you feel now? You don't feel _anything!_" Kalley cried out. The last sentence acted as though it just hit Allen squarely in the stomach. Kalley didn't seem to care about his hurt expression. "It's not like those dreams mean anything, anyway!"

"But they do, Kalley." Allen said. His patience was ebbing away now. "Look, we're the same, Kalley. I know-"

"No. We barely know each other. I don't want to know you!" Kalley said, almost raising her voice. "And here's your knife back. I don't want it!" she snatched the knife he had given her from what felt like so long ago and threw it to the ground.

Allen darted to the ground and took the knife in his hands. He didn't know what he was doing, but he didn't care at the moment, either.

"Please," he said softly the moment he got back up. They were still close enough so that Allen could take her hand and press the knife back to her palm. "Just take it."

For a moment, Kalley's expression contorted with surprise as her hand obediently closed around the knife.

Then the anger flared again.

"Fine. But just leave me alone!" Kalley snarled back. She turned and stalked off in the other direction.

However angry she looked, Allen could've sworn he saw a tear glistening down her cheek the moment she turned.

_She has too much pride in herself, doesn't she? _He thought. _Why does she always have to be so stubborn and rebellious? Chiron never told me a child of Kronos could be like this. Seems like we have to figure things like this ourselves. _

"Allen! I'm going to contact Chiron now! Where are the drachmas?" Elli piped up as she popped up from a bush right next to where Kalley was walking by. "Oh, good morning, Kalley! What's...?"

Kalley continued to stalk past as she ignored Elli. Her smile faded, newly replaced with a sad expression. Elli looked momentarily confused, looking back and forth from Kalley to Allen with a questioning look in her eyes.

Allen only shook his head in defeat, _Poor Elli, _he thought. _She doesn't even know what's going on..._

"Is it me?" she asked when Kalley walked away from their sight. Elli looked so clueless, Allen didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"It's okay, just leave her be," Allen reassured her, although he didn't feel too great himself. It's been a first time in a long time since someone had made him angry. He stomped off toward the tent, where they left the drachmas in the orange pack.

Even during the time Elli had looked confused Allen knew that she looked better than she had in days. Obviously, she was the cleanest out of all of them, and her clothes looked dry and fresh. Although there were still faint circles under her eyes, they still held a new brightness to it that differed from the exhaustion Kalley's showed. The scratch on her cheek was almost gone, and she looked almost as good as new.

**{xxx}**

_Elli swung the sword in a nice arch. The sword seemed to be working well for her, thanks to her dad. She could feel the perspiration rolling down her temple. _

No, _she thought, _this isn't enough.

_With a grunt she swung harder, stabbing the air and lunging forward. She'd done this so many times with a different sword with one of the Hermes children that it was almost easy to get this right with her very own sword. _

_This continued for many minutes at the lake, until accidentally she swung the sword at an awkward angle, twisting her wrist. Immediately, Elli cried out, dropping the sword. She seemed to be shouting now. _

"_What's wrong with this? How the fu-"_

"_Whoa. Watch it," a voice warned out from behind her. Allen emerged from the bushes. "Never in my life have I heard that you would ever say those words." _

"_Sorry," Elli muttered. But she didn't care whether Allen was there or not. _

_It wasn't fair. _

_Why did she always have to be so helpless? _

_Why was she always second? _

_Can't she be able to do something meaningful, for once? _

"_It's okay, you know," Allen continued. "Making mistakes. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be able to succeed as well." _

_It seemed like both of them each knew what the other was thinking. Well, apparently they were thinking the same thing. Elli walked to the water near the lake, dipping her wrist in the water. _

"_I hate it," Elli said quietly, "when you're so helpless. You can't help your friends at all . . ."_

"_What are you thinking of?" Allen asked gently. "Remember, it's not your fault that-"_

"_I know, I heard that already too many times," Elli said, sounding a bit annoyed. That statement seemed to be the most common thing that they were saying these past few days. The silence between them didn't seem to break for a long, long time. "Where's Kalley?" she asked, as the nice, cool sensation seeped into her right hand. _

"_Off somewhere, there," Allen said, pointing in the direction behind him as he squatted by Elli's side. "We're ah, experimenting, you could say. She's trying stuff out." _

"_Hm . . ." Elli murmured, looking as though she was very deep into what she was thinking. "Time is speed, isn't it? It's also . . ." she trailed off. It _was_ hard to think about what time actually was. _

"_We can always ask Tim for a specific definition," Allen said, grinning._

"_Oh, he's going to be _so_ annoying," Elli groaned, though she was grinning herself. "Word for word from the dictionary! I'm surprised that he could even sit there and _read_ the book." _

"_Speed . . ." Allen thought, "That reminds me. I'll let her know. Thanks, Elli." _

"_Um, okay. Whatever I just did, you're welcome." Elli called back as she saw Allen stroll back to where Kalley was said to be. _

"_Wait, Elli!" Allen cried out, crashing back to where she was. _

_Elli only looked back in surprise._

"_What?"_

"_You know we're almost back at camp," Allen said. "But Kalley might take us an even longer time to just get us back there. Whatever happens . . . to both of us-" _

"_Just let her continue," Elli said, "I know, Allen. And if one of us is lost, you _know_ you have to keep going, right?" she added, although her voice held a tinge of sadness and disgust. _

"_. . . Fine," Allen said, as he walked back to where he wanted to go. _

_Both of them hated the idea of leaving someone behind. _

_The only thing Elli disliked was that Kalley wouldn't care. _

**{xxx}**

"Okay, so-"

"Elli, where are the drachmas?" Allen asked after he squatted down and rummaged through the bag. No matter how big it really was, he knew that the golden coins wouldn't be too hard to find.

"What do you mean? They're in the bag," Elli said impatiently as she came to his side. "Elli, we need to contact Chiron," Allen said, a new tone of panic in his voice. He was shaking the bag upside down now. There weren't a lot of things in there, but even as all the contents dropped to the ground there wasn't a sign of a single golden coin anywhere. "The drachmas are gone, Elli."

"Well, state the obvious if you want Allen," Elli said, trying to act care-free. Her voice shook a little. "I'm just going to stand here and say _Duh._"

"This isn't funny, Elli."

"Duh."

"You annoy me, Elli."

"Duh."

"Someone stole them."

"You're on a role, you know." Elli said, even though her a look of mere surprise momentarily flitted to her face. She looked back at the tent. "Allen," she said slowly, "You didn't sleep in the tent right?"

Allen looked up from where he was squatting down, "Of course no-"

"The tent flap was open," Elli said simply. Allen looked like he was going to explode in panic. "And you _did_ notice that most of the extra knives were taken too, right?"

Again, Allen's panic meter rose several notches. His eyes darted quickly back to where he was sleeping. At least his bow and arrows were still there. He always slept with them by his side, especially during days and times like this.

He looked at Elli. If this situation hadn't been so important, Allen thought that Elli would've laughed at him for the ridiculous expression of anxiety on his face.

Although this wasn't the case.

The atmosphere suddenly seemed colder than it had originally been.

The air was so tense.

They weren't suppose to be separated at a time like this.

Allen's eyes widened in fear as he looked behind him. Elli already had her sword in hand. They both looked at each other, the same fear reflecting in their eyes.

Allen didn't care of the danger right now. He only knew that they needed to get _all _of them back to safety. Without a moment's notice, the two children ran back in the direction they only hoped to find their friend.

"Kalley!" Allen cried out, dragging Elli by the hand as the two crashed carelessly through the undergrowth, running past the lake.

Naturally, he was faster than Elli, with his legs longer and with his greater endurance stamina.

But Kalley must've gone far, far away from here.

What if she was taken?

_It'd be my fault. _Allen thought, the guilt bubbling up ferociously in his chest.

"We stayed here for too long," Elli said, huffing as they continued to sprint past the trees. "I'm sorry, Allen."

Allen didn't say anything for a long time. Where was Kalley? "Let's just find her, and get out, okay Elli?"

Allen barely noticed the swift nod she had given him, but he already knew that she would agree.

Elli almost tripped over a fallen branch on the ground, but Allen quickly pulled her aside as he continued to drag her deeper into the forest.

They heard a scream.

**{xxx}**

_Why did he have to be so nosy all the time? _Kalley thought in frustration as she walked past the lake, deeper into the forest. The noise she was making as she crashed through the bushes startled a few animals. A few scuffles erupted here and there, and occasionally there was a squawk of a bird. Kalley scowled. _He thinks he can always come in and make things better just be talking, _she thought. _So annoying . . ._

What did he care about her? It didn't matter to Kalley whether _Allen _got hurt or not.

She could always go her own way.

Kalley took the knife out.

In anger, she slashed at the trees, failing to create the deep marks that she thought there would be. She wasn't strong enough, let alone able to handle a knife properly. What was left on the tree were just faint scratches on the rough bark. Kalley looked around.

She was alone.

Not even a sound or a scurry of noises penetrated through the air. How long had Kalley walked for? She looked toward the trees, trying to find any sign of the lake from far away. All she saw were tall trees, thick bushes, and the blue sky above her head.

_It's only 11:18 AM, _She thought. Even though she couldn't tell where she was, she could at least tell the time of day.

_But that's barely useful when you want to find your way back out, _Kalley thought.

But wait.

Why did she want to go back?

Did she really want to just go back to where Allen and Elli were? And do what?

_Apologizing would make you sound weak,_ a voice said in her head.

Kalley thought for a moment. She hated it that she was always so confused. She never felt this way back before she met them. Asides from Dory, Kalley's never seen or met anyone who'd actually cared for her.

_I don't even remember my dead mother,_ Kalley thought miserably.

A twig snapped. Kalley flinched, but didn't move.

She didn't want to make more noise; it would only mask the movements of the other person that was here.

Was it a person? Kalley couldn't tell.

_I'll just say it's a person,_ Kalley thought,_ And if it's not, then I'll call it a squirrel. Or it can be a person-squirrel. That's a lot easier. _

Slowly, Kalley looked at her surroundings. She couldn't see anyone.  
"Who are you?" Kalley called out without thinking. What was she doing? "Show yourself!"

Her hand started to brush against the knife in her pocket. Even though it was a little annoying to think about, Kalley couldn't help but feel thankful that Allen had given it back to her.

Still, nothing stirred in the bushes around her.

Kalley almost sighed in relief. She was scared that if it wasn't a squirrel or person (or person-squirrel), it could've been a monster. Kalley really didn't feel like fighting one right now.

"_Did you sense something, dear?" _

Kalley almost stumbled back in response.

What was that?

Kalley heard it, but she couldn't pinpoint where the sound had come from. It felt as though it had sounded directly inside her mind, creating a ubiquitous presence.

"W-who are you?" Kalley said again. Her mind was racing, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

Laughter erupted in the air. _"My, my, you _are _a brave one, aren't you?" _

"_Oh just leave her alone, Lupa. We have other things to mourn about . . ." _a second voice moaned out.

"Where are you!" Kalley cried out.

Just hearing their voices turned her blood into ice. Kalley looked around in panic. She'd always seen her enemy. What if she couldn't see them this time?

Then, they appeared.

What were they? To Kalley, they looked like some sort of ghost. However, they didn't take the form of any human. It just seemed like they were just . . . there. It was like the same smoke that had surrounded Knox in her dream, except this one was more like a light blue, glassy mist.

Kalley was alone. But even if she had a knife in her hand, how can she even kill a ghost? Although she just wanted to runaway, her body felt as though it had been rooted to the spot.

"_Really, Ania," _the first voice insisted, _"When was the last time a human came along our path?"_

"_Two years isn't really such a short time,"_ Ania groaned. _"Such sadness. Grief is a powerful thing . . . I wonder what she now thinks of the others,"_

"_Well then?" _growled Lupa. _"she felt more pain than the others . . ." _

The two . . . mists seemed to be talking to each other. Kalley took one shaky step backward, but as soon as her foot had touch the ground, the leaves crunched noisily underneath her sneaker.

_Shoot, _Kalley thought desperately, _I don't know what they are, but something about them makes me feel . . . _

"_This one has very few grievances to think about," _Ania sobbed.

Kalley didn't know why this voice sounded so sad.

"_But pain . . . is never ending, my friend." _Lupa replied. Her voice sounded icy, as if the atmosphere had frozen the mist itself. _"Come on Ania, this one's very powerful, indeed. I believe we should bring this one to _her._" _

"What are you talking about?" Kalley whispered. She knew they would hear her, anyway. "you-"

In a second, Kalley doubled over in agony, feeling as though a thousand knives were going through her.

She screamed in pain. What was this? It felt as though some kind of torture had been placed upon her.

Then, as fast as it had come, the pain stopped, leaving her gasping for breath.

Nevermind, it didn't stop.

Kalley saw images flash by. It felt as though it was a film being played in her mind.

Kalley saw Pierce, the very same one, looking practically normal again. She remembered how he had tried reaching for her shirt, tearing it, but she got away in time just by desperately smashing a bottle on his head. Seeing the man unconscious, she ran back out the door.

She remembered a huge gang, not those Stymphalian birds, but a real human one, chasing her through alleys and streets. She remembered almost running for her life.

Kalley saw him again. Pierce. But this time, his shirt was clotted with blood, the knife sticking out viciously from his chest. She remembered the panic and surprising grief she had felt. She didn't mean to kill him.

He didn't need to die.

She did this.

She remembered the pain she felt after the Cyclops had tried to kill her. She remembered the night afterwards, spending her time under the cold, cold rain.

Kalley saw how almost every day she was always alone, asking herself why she didn't have a normal life. Why didn't she?

It wasn't fair.

Then she saw Dory on the television, crying and crying about something she hadn't known about.

She didn't deserve this. Why did Kalley have to cause so much pain?

Kalley saw Allen, looking angry at her, and how she couldn't keep her emotions straight when he kept telling her it was going to be okay.

No.

It was never going to be okay.

Only the feeling of her hands touching the ground brought Kalley back to reality. She saw that her hands were shaking. She was curled up into a ball.

She noticed that the tears wouldn't stop rolling down her cheeks.

Shakily, Kalley got up, looking at the mists in front of her. She was still shaking.

_"Wow,"_ a voice, Lupa, mused, _"first time doing this and she's been the only demigod to withstand us."_

_"Yes . . . it's all very sad. . . It seems as though she already accepts what she already has," _Ania moaned again.

"Kalley!"

Kalley heard the heavy steps behind her.

Almost instantly, she was grabbed and dragged back by the shoulders, causing her to take numerous steps back.

"Are you okay?" the voice, hands still holding her shoulders, said quietly. She knew that voice. It didn't matter that she had gotten mad at him earlier. She didn't care anymore. She felt as though she was shrinking, leaning herself into Allen's grasped. Kalley didn't care if she was crying anymore. She could feel his warm chest as she clung to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"N-"

"You're shaking, Kalley," Allen said quietly. It felt as though he was supporting her, yet hugging her at the same time.

"N-no, I'm o-okay," Kalley managed to stammer.

Thinking back, she had never felt like this before. No one had made her feel as emotional as that.

Kalley looked up, seeing Elli in front of them, facing the mists.

She looked at those mists with renewed hatred.

"Daimones," Allen murmured.

"Come again?" Elli asked, her sword in her hand. Her body stood there, rigid.

"Spirits," Allen replied, "Lupa and Ania,"

"Wait," Elli interrupted. "_Lupa?_"

"It's a different one, Elli!" Allen growled. "Pain and grief. We shouldn't have stayed here for so long." He was still holding Kalley. Kalley managed to stand up again, moving to Allen's side, away from his grasp. He looked at her.

"I'm okay," Kalley said.

"_She _is_, you know," _Lupa hissed out. _"She was the only one so far who'd withstand our powers. We've never seen anything like her." _

"What do you want?" Elli called out, walking toward them. Allen took out his bow.

"_We only wanted to play a little. _She_ misses a companion too, you know." _

Elli seemed to stop cold.

". . . I . . . Know you," Elli whispered.

"Elli, what's wrong?" Allen demanded.

Kalley and Allen both never knew she would ever act like this. She'd never done so before.

"_We really only wanted one child, you know . . ." _Ania said aloud.

_"Either that, or we'll take all of you,"_ Lupa sneered.

Elli looked back desperately at Allen. In only a few moments, Kalley could feel Allen's own body tense up.

"No, Elli! I know what you're thinking, but don't!"

"Don't you see, Allen?" Elli asked, turning back to face both of them. "It's the only way. You can't fight them."

"But-" Allen began.

"You promised," Elli said, bowing her head. "None of you deserve this,"

"And you do?" Allen said angrily.

"Don't you know them?" Elli demanded. "My fri-"

"Is not there!" Allen shouted, taking a few steps froward. "They're just lying, Elli!"

"What if they're not?" Elli just shook her head. She turned back to face the two mists, and nodded. "Remember, Allen."

_"Aw, this is so sad, isn't it Lupa?" _Ania said.

_"We will see how _she _thinks of all of this, I suppose," _Lupa growled.

"No! Elli dont!" Allen ran toward where Elli was standing. But the spirits were faster.

A flash of light.

The three were gone.


	15. Chapter 15: Strong Will

**OMG GUYS! It's been so long :O I'm sooo sorry for the long wait! :) With highschool already up and running, marching band, symphonic orchestra (yes im doing both :P weird, huh?), and a lottt of other **  
**extra curricular activities, my life is slowly starting to become hectic. Well, it already is xP **

**Another thing, if you guys forgot, i think it would be best if you read the previous chapter :P It's been a WHILE... and even MOI almost forgot! gasp :O anyways...**

**SO, to my readers :P if some are still there :(**

**ConcreteAngel! hi :) That is my official name for you, cuz we've been acquainted for a long enough period of time for me to give you a shorter and less formal name :) Thanks for still reading with me! Sorry I haven't been reviewing your stories lately... :P again, my life = crazy. **

**Will! ahhh! okay. so in late summer I stopped writing for two weeks straight BECAUSE i was at a music camp! it was on a mountain :O besides the fact that it was amazing, i found out there were niceeee mac computers there, cuz its an art highschool :) so, even as i checked my email, found your review describing that you really are hoping for another chapter, i watched helplessly as I failed to post another chapter. :P i kno, dramatic. But i hope you might come again! The only benefit of having an account if your not writing is to be alerted of stories :) right now i can only communicate with you through here, and reviews! CHECK MY REVIEWS :OOO i sent you a message!**

**P.S. ahem ahem, I named this chapter for a specific reason :) I dedicate this to you, Will!**

**My friends, it is my pleasure to tell you that this chapter is VERY long. I believe and hope this is for your pleasure too :) I'm not one of those readers who write up small short chapters that are really only one to two pages on a word document. I, on the other hand, believe in the power of novels! no just kidding. but its something along those words. I guess what i'm trying to say is that my chapters are long only because i add description to enhance the story, and I'm showing, not telling :) teehee. **

**Okay! I'm so excited :) it's been a while since i've posted! I present to you! chapter 15 :) **

* * *

Chapter 15: Strong Will

* * *

Allen stared at the space where the younger girl stood. The air was empty. The spirits were gone.

Elli was gone.

"_Please take care of her," Chiron said. "Promise me." _

Allen heard the voice clear in his head. His heart was beating loudly. A full second felt like a century to him at the moment. All that he was thinking of- no, all that he _saw_, was already too hard to be processed in his mind. What just happened? He broke a promise that he'd failed to fulfill. He was too overconfident that they could get through this alive.

Until the spirits had come. They had literally been in a precarious situation back then.

Overconfidence. That had already been his first mistake from the very beginning. Nothing could be done.

_The promise was broken. _

As he heard those words in his mind, his heart seemed to weigh heavier and heavier, as if someone's life had been placed upon it.

Go figure.

But then he heard other words.

"_You promised," Elli said. _

Promised to keep going. Promised to move on when one of them didn't.

to move on when one of them _didn't? _Allen felt his heart throb. It was to promise her to move on when one of them _couldn't._ Couldn't do anything _at all_.

Leave her.

Allen felt as though he were being torn in two. He looked behind him, and could see Kalley turned away from him. He couldn't tell what she was thinking right now. The feeling of defeat that had resided in Allen's heart almost suffocated him.

Well, one thing's for sure. Allen felt horrible.

"So it's over," Allen heard Kalley say quietly. A breeze passed, the wind swiftly blowing through her long, auburn hair. She turned to face him. Still, her face showed no emotion. That really annoyed him. How could she not show an expression at a time like this? Despite that, Allen wondered whether he looked the same way. Or rather, he hoped he could look the same way. It didn't matter to be weak at the moment.

Eh. He wasn't _that _good at keeping his expression controlled. He had too many things that were burdening him right now.

But he had to make a decision.

**[xxx]**

Kalley looked at Allen in dismay. The trio had just lost a companion. And it hadn't been a long time, either. Almost easily, Kalley could see the broken look on Allen's face. What happened that could've made Allen look this bad?

"No."

"What?" Kalley asked. Allen's expression was still the same as before. However, the tone in his voice held something that she had never expected.

Was this the Allen she knew?

"We . . . Keep going," Allen said heavily. "Continue to New York."

Kalley waited for a few seconds, expecting Allen to cry out, "just kidding!" or anything that would change her mind about him. Kalley couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could she respond to that? Kalley only walked up to him, looking directly into his eyes. There really was only one thing that she could do to fully express her feelings.

She slapped him full in the face.

In the next second, Kalley could already see him shaking his head rapidly to recover from the blow she'd just given him. Allen only looked more confused, which annoyed Kalley even more.

Why are boys so thick at times like this?

"Wh-"

"Who do you think you _are?_" Kalley snapped. She could feel her face growing hot with anger. She wouldn't be surprised if steamed hadn't been coming out of her ears right now. "What ever happened to you? _Who_ are you?"

Allen could only hang his head in shame.

"Who told me that I was never going to be alone?" Kalley demanded. "You would never leave me behind, and you let go of Elli so easily?"

"She sai-"

"It clearly does not matter on what she says, Allen," Kalley said hotly. "She can't always keep doing this. You _know _who she is, don't you?"

"Of course, but-" Allen began.

"Then let's go and find her!" Kalley urged. "I don't understand why you would want to leave someone behind, anyway. You're really breaking your own promise."

Allen looked genuinely surprised. "Whoever said anything about promises?"

Kalley could only shrug. "Nobody, I think. Does it matter?"

Allen shook his head. "No. You're right. It doesn't."

The two stared into each other's eyes; dark warm brown against golden brown. Kalley could see that she wasn't much taller than Allen. He didn't look that bad, knowing that they had been on the run for quite a while, and sleep wasn't very long here.

_But I probably don't look as great,_ Kalley thought.

"Okay then," Kalley said. "Where do we start?"

Against her will, Kalley could already imagine Allen banging his head onto a tree nearby. Instead, he smiled. "We never think things through, don't we?" At that moment, Gus came scurrying over and climbed onto Allen's leg, onto his shoulder. "Gus," Allen said, looking aggravated. "This isn't the time right now."

Immediately, Kalley saw the change in his face, from pure amusement to excitement. "Gus, you're a genius."

"What is it?" Kalley asked, starting to get annoyed. Sometimes being able to talk to an animal felt like the other person didn't know anything. And in this case it really is true.

"We need to go back," Allen said. "We need to go to San Francisco."

Kalley couldn't stop her mouth from falling open.

"Are you crazy?" Kalley said in disbelief. If she recalled correctly, the location of San Francisco was back from where she came from in California. And it took them about five days just to reach their destination here in Kansas.

Not only that, but they also haven't even crossed the border into New York!

"Didn't you say something about not leaving someone behind?" Allen asked.

_Fine,_ Kalley thought. _I meant that, but I didn't mean for us to head back all the way across the United States!_

"Why San Francisco?" Kalley asked, shaking her head. It was starting to get a little late. Time had passed by so fast. Hadn't it been only an early afternoon when Kalley reached this area of the forest? Now the sky was getting a little darker as the wind shifted, dropping the temperature a few degrees or so. The trees around them were turning into a gloomy color, their shadows crawling grisly against the grass.

Even with the spirits gone, the place still looked quite formidable by itself. It still made the hair on the back of Kalley's neck stand on end. As the mood surrounding them changed by various nuances, so did Allen's face. His expression seemed grave.

"It was not too long ago," Allen said. "Elli's first quest. Four of them went to San Francisco, and met something disastrous there." Allen paused for a moment before continuing, as if he didn't want to tell her something that he might've wanted to say. "When they came back, only three were left."

The eerie silence seemed almost palpable in the chilly air. "Well, we know for sure the one who didn't return wasn't Elli, right?" Kalley asked nervously. Although that was the most reasonable answer she could think of, she wasn't at all sure that it could be the definite answer. She was never certain, nowadays.

"To be honest with you," Allen said. "We're not sure at all. I'm only guessing that Elli might've been taken to San Francisco after the spirits disappeared in a flash of light."

"And I thought you had stopped speaking in riddles," Kalley said in aggravation. "Can you at least-"

"A flash of light," Allen said quietly. Kalley stared at Allen.

"What?"

"Spirits never vanish like that," Allen said, his voice turning rigid. "Dark spirits do _not _vanish in light."

"So-"

"Someone was here," Allen said. "Someone's watching us."

No wonder Kalley had felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. There wasn't a single wisp of wind that whispered in and out of the trees, not a bird chirping or fluttering or perching on the branches, not a scurry in the bushes.

"They can't be here now," Kalley whispered, dread creeping up her back. "That person must've gone, Allen."

It was too silent.

Kalley could see Allen's hand creep slowly up to his bow, as if the slightest movement might trigger something terrible. _No, don't take your chances, please,_ Kalley prayed quietly. The two scanned the area around them quietly. It was as if they were being hunted on the spot. This was not how things were suppose to be going.

First, they were burdened with a new task of trying to retrieve a friend, and now, someone could be following them? Now that Allen had told her how powerful Kronos was, she would understand the fact that many people (or _creatures,_ for that matter) might come looking for her, perhaps even wanting to control her. She was . . . a demi-titan. The phrase sounded awkward in her mind as if someone were stuttering an abstruse word. Demi-titan. Demi-titan . . . For some reason, she hated the sound of that word.

After several moments of silence, Kalley could see Allen's shoulders relax slowly. However, his eyes did not lose its intensity. They seemed to be taking in every detail that it could find near the bushes, up in the trees, in the sky, and on the ground. The precision that he did this in was almost unnerving.

It was an absolute skill of an archer.

"Let's get out of here," Allen said slowly. "The car's not far from here,"

_Yeah, it's not like someone stole it after we parked it a few days ago, _Kalley thought, rolling her eyes.

"So we're really going all the way to San Francisco?" Kalley said, discouraged of what distances they would really need to cover.

"What choice do we have?" Allen said flatly. "But there's one more thing we need to do."

Out of his pocket, Allen pulled out the most unexpected thing Kalley could ever think of. A nice carved and wooden whistle rested on his palm. The shape and carvings were so simple that it was actually quite beautiful and unique. That was in a design that was already different in its own way. Gus, who was perched quietly on Allen's shoulder, jumped down onto the ground in one swift motion and looked up expectantly at the son of Apollo.

"What's that?" Kalley asked. "A kazoo?"

"You're almost as bad as Elli," Allen said, annoyed. His expression changed for one moment at what he'd just said, but as quick as it had begun, it had already turned back to normal. "Artemis had a wolf on her shield to be known as her protector, but she wasn't the only one who had it to be her sacred animal."

As soon as he blew into the whistle, Kalley could hear the sound reverberated through the forest as clear as if it was a nightingale. It sounded way too loud to be coming from such a minuscule instrument.

The next few moments were filled with an eerie silence. It was a silence almost too hard to control for such a long period of time. All of a sudden, two gleaming eyes shone from a bush not too far from them. The sight almost caused Kalley to cry out in fright if Allen hadn't been there with his hand gently grasping her arm to comfort her. Slowly, yet slyly, the brown-furred wolf crept out from its hiding spot and sat obediently in front of Allen, its eyes glaring fiercely at Allen. Allen, however, already had a fixed, solid gaze and stared back just as intensely. The wolf growled in response as it nodded toward him. Kalley wanted to take a few steps back if Allen hadn't said anything.

"Conan, can you find her?" Allen asked. He pointed to the spot where Elli had just been standing a few moments ago.

_What's going on . . ._ Kalley thought, her eyes darting repeatedly from Allen to the animal that was crouched right in front of him. After a few seconds, the realization that came to her was just an annoying one. _If he can talk to it and I can't understand a word that wolf is saying, then I'm going to have to survive for a full 4 minutes and 29 seconds listening to cave-man talk or who knows what, _she thought.

"What did she say," Kalley hissed as Conan sniffed and prowled around the area Allen had indicated to her.

"It's a _he, _by the way," Allen said quietly. "Gus, I think you might want to follow. She doesn't know who Conan is." From the bottom of his feet Gus gave a slight nod. It reminded Kalley that animals really _could _understand humans accurately. Slowly, Conan looked up at Allen, nodded, and barked loudly. In a flash, the brown wolf had gone streaking into the bushes in front of them- with a white mouse tailing him- leaving them alone once again.

**[xxx]**

"He said he'd find her," Allen said.

"That wolf was huge," Kalley remarked. In truth Allen had to admit that she was right. Conan wasn't the average sized wolf in here. "Does _Conan _mean anything by chance?"  
Allen almost laughed out loud. "Funny you asked," he said, as he turned around to walk to the tent. They were almost packed; it's time that they leave for the journey ahead. "The name suits him pretty well."

"What do you mean?"

"The meaning. It means _little wolf._" Allen smiled, not even bothering to look at Kalley's expression. At least he was good enough to read _this _expression of hers. Then his expression changed again to a feeling of graveness. He could almost feel the dread creeping up his spine. He didn't tell Kalley that Conan said it would be next to impossible to find Elli.

**[xxx]**

"_Di immortales," _Knox cursed under his breath, a small fire of anger flaring up inside him.

He was so close. So close to reaching the girl. The image of her just standing there alone was so clear in his mind that he almost begged himself to push it out of his brain. For some reason that memory had been recently deemed his biggest mistake.

**[xxx]**

_The girl stood there in the middle of the forest, her long auburn hair hanging loosely on her shoulders. The air was cold and thin; there was a small cloud of fog in front of him whenever he exhaled. Was it really this cold here? The trees looked dark and ominous as he crept silently over the soft, moist undergrowth. His clothes weren't extremely torn apart; the journey here wasn't so hard. _

_And he had his own skills. Some kids like him, he heard, could turn invisible. Some could walk through walls and objects. Others could even produce a couple of objects out of thin air. Every one of his 'brothers and sisters' could do something. Even he himself had worked way too hard to gain perfection to his power. _

_He was just a few feet away from where she stood, only hidden in the shadows of the trees. Then she walked on, with Knox following stealthily right behind her. What should he do? He figured he could just appear in front of her and talk to her. That fight she and that Apollo kid had earlier only made things easier. He could probably persuade her to come with him, and then he'd be done with it. _

_Knox smirked. Easier said than done. _

_He followed the girl as she stomped through the undergrowth, took out her knife, and slashed the trees in anger. Knox was surprised that she didn't mind making such loud noises when she should've been more careful. She's different, anyway. _

_It's a good thing she's alone. The plan is coming along smoothly. _

_At least he assumed this was the right one. The child. There were two girls and a boy. Knox was pretty sure that the boy had a quiver of arrows and a bow with him. The smaller girl though only confused Knox for a moment. She was small, yes, but her face looked so mature and . . . slightly older. And for another reason, she looked . . . vaguely familiar. _

She's been through a lot, that girl_, Knox thought. He guessed it didn't matter if he recognized her or not. Knox can't get carried away at the moment. He really should ignore this strong feeling that'd been nagging him that day about the smaller girl. _

_She was at the lake at the time Knox arrived here and saw them. Maybe some minor river god? Poseidon? The second thought made him think differently about the girl. Of course she's been through a lot then. It's a new Percy Jackson. Worse or better than Jackson didn't really matter. She's a daughter of Poseidon. _It's been a while since you've met your last enemy, Reaper of Souls," _he thought. _

_He didn't mind admitting it, but he had to accept that he was the son of a minor god. It didn't matter as much as being the child of Athena, Hephaestus, or even Hermes, despite the history of his descendants from there. He just didn't like it. _

_A twig snapped. With a horrible realization, Knox noticed that it was his foot that had produced the noise. He saw the girl turn around to where he was standing. _

Crap_, he thought. Can she see him? He wasn't that near, and he was surprised the girl had actually heard him. _

_He saw the girl look frantically at her surroundings. _

"_Who are you?" she cried out. It was amusing to him that she had assumed right away that it could be a person. To him, it seemed reckless in her part. "Show yourself!" _

_Knox didn't move a muscle. Twice, he saw her eyes scan over the place he was carefully hidden. After a few moments, he could already see her shoulders relax for the slightest moment. _

"_Did you sense something, dear?" _

_Knox looked at where the girl was standing. He recognized that voice. _

Ania and Lupa,_ Knox thought with gritted teeth. This wasn't going well at all. Why did this have to happen now? He could feel the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he watched the spirits appear in front of the girl. He had to tell him. _

_In a whoosh and quiet change of air, Knox appeared yet again in another location. Probably twenty-five feet away from where the girl was. It was still a late afternoon. Good thing the Sun was still shining. He took out fairly large pouch out of his pocket. Drachmas. He might not be as skillful or as stealthy as a child of Hermes, but the only result that mattered was that he'd managed to steal something from the tent while the three were sleeping._

"_Damn it," Knox muttered. He needed mist. Anything that he could use to communicate with. Using his own power would make him weak. Knox scanned the area quickly, looking desperately for the thing he most needed._

_Nothing. _

_The air seemed empty, as if it were answering a risky decision he had to make. _

_He had no choice. It must've been hard for a child of Poseidon to produce water out of thin air. Then what of a child of a minor god? If he tried anything simpler, it was only going to end up looking humiliating on him. Still, there was no other way. _

This is going to look so undignified,_ Knox thought, feeling agitated. In a few moments, he felt a new feeling of dizziness overcome his mind as he began to mentally construct the object he needed to make. Something that would last a while. Anything that could stand alone. _  
_Mentally construct? It was too hard to explain now. Suddenly revived by this thought, Knox hurriedly concentrated on forming the object in his mind. _

_Then, out of nowhere, a sprinkler popped out from the ground, spraying a soft mist of water in a few directions. Despite the nice mini accomplishment of producing water indirectly, Knox could feel his face redden a little even though no one was there. Having a sprinkler go off wasn't right in this type of situation. _

_Trying hard to ignore this, he threw the drachma into the mist where the most noticeable rainbow seemed present, and as the drachma disappeared, he muttered,_  
_"Oh, goddess Iris, show me the shed on the edge of Detroit, where darkness still lingers." The mist flickered for a second, as if hesitating to show him where he needed to go. "Show me!" He demanded, and instantly the water held an image of the place where he'd last left. The room was dark, but even Knox could feel his presence all the way in Kansas. He told Knox he would be here._

_The dark looking mist seemed to drift lazily in the darkness of the shed. At last, the shadow twitched, as if sensing something. _

"_What brings you to call on me, my boy," he said sleepily. Knox could tell that he was still weak, but at times he could be a little idle, as if he was overconfident about something. _

"_The interference," Knox explained. "It's Eris and her-"_

"_Do not interfere with her," the voice hissed. Knox's hair on the back of his neck stood on end, tingling. His voice sounded so close. "Eris knows what she is doing," the voice continued, and for a first, he sounded interested in the topic, "Finally, some entertainment. Take the girl afterward." _

_Knox felt his face growing hot. "I've come all this way, and you're telling me-"_

"_Oh please, child," Kronos whispered lazily, "you can't possibly show any affections for this girl before you've even-"_

"_You want me to protect her," Knox countered. "Eris could kill her. Your weapon will be lost." _

_Kronos sighed. "You will see." he said. Luckily, it was really rare that Kronos would get impatient with Knox. "Protect the girl. Bring her to me only _after_ Eris has done her part. Eris may be powerful, but she is nothing compared to the child of a titan." _

"_I've been watching her," Knox said coldly, "She deserves more than just-"_

"_My boy, let me ask you something," the voice said coolly. "Have you forgotten about _her?_ Have you forgotten that whatever you're being sent to do right now is for your own good? You can bring her back." _

_Even Kronos knew where to hit when it comes to weakening him. Knox thought his heart felt heavier. He tried to shake off the matter. Even though he felt terrible for that moment, he can't feel like that right now. _

"_. . . Then, what can I do," Knox said, feeling defeat rise up his chest. _

"_When the time comes, she will be willing to leave those closest to her," Kronos said. "Time is a powerful thing. It is not strong enough to overcome the power of prophecy, but it is enough to inform one of what will come. Soon, even the child might be able to master this skill. She's done it before." _

"_B-" Knox began._

"_Do you have it," the voice said suddenly. The change in atmosphere was quick. Everything seemed so much tenser. "Do you have it," it said again. _

"_Yes, will I need it soon?" Knox asked, his curiosity increasing even more. _

"_Use your brain, boy," the voice snapped. "Time is a precious thing. And for once, I'm being generous; you've served me for quite a while." _

"_What do you mean?" Knox asked. He was starting to get annoyed with Kronos. Sometimes talking to him for a long amount of time made him impatient since the titan took way too much time, and it was starting to get excruciating in this kind of situation. _

"_The one you care about most is coming soon," the voice whispered. "Remember, you only have eight minutes. You will know."_

"_Fine," Knox muttered, waving his hand at the mist. The signal broke immediately, leaving him alone as he willed the sprinkler to disappear with a pop. _

_He heard a scream. Soon, all feelings and attitude of his conversation with Kronos vanished. _

_What'd happened while he was gone? _

_Knox didn't have much time. Feeling the panic rise up his chest, he summoned up all his strength to return to the previous destination he had arrived at. He needed to get back to her. _

_In a whoosh, Knox appeared yet again a few feet away from the clearing where the spirits and the girl were located at. She was on her knees, almost curled up into a ball. She stood up shakily, wiping her eyes as tears flowed easily down her cheeks. _What happened? _Knox thought. No matter how much he wondered, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was glad that he hadn't been there to witness the incident. _

"_Wow," a voice, Lupa, mused, "first time doing this and she's been the only demigod to withstand us." Knox couldn't help gritting his teeth at that spirit. Lupa was heartless and cruel. Some day he'd like to get his hands on her. Especially for what'd happened in the past . . ._

"_Yes . . . it's all very sad . . . It seems as though she already accepts what she already has," Ania moaned again. _

_Knox was so close to interfering, with his anger flaring. These spirits never care, do they? His hand crept to his pocket, where his Swiss army knife rested. Kronos couldn't care less, could he? He was, after all a-_

"_Kalley!"_

_Knox saw the other two demigods appear to the right of where Knox was standing. Right now he realized that he was just a spectator at the moment. The boy with the brown hair, green sweatshirt, and the bow and arrows around his shoulder hugged the girl, as though protecting her, shielding her with his arms. Knox saw him speak quietly to the girl, but he couldn't catch what the boy was saying. Meanwhile, Knox merely observed as he saw the younger girl step forward, a pearly white sword in her hand. _

_No. He probably hadn't seen her before. He'd never seen that sword before. Could it be new? He saw the younger girl open her mouth, asking something, too quiet for him to hear. Knox could see the boy explaining something just as softly. For a moment he looked impatient with the smaller girl. After he was done explaining, the other girl, the child, stood by his side. _

"_I'm okay," the girl said. Knox almost smirked. She looked terrible, and she said she was okay? _

"_She is, you know," Lupa hissed out. "She was the only one so far who'd withstand our powers. We've never seen anything like her."_

"_What do you want?" The smaller girl called out, walking toward them. She looked so small compared to the boy and the child of Kronos. And she looked so familiar . . . Knox saw the boy take out his bow._

"_We only wanted to play a little. _She_ misses a companion too, you know." _

_What? Who's _she? _No . . . it can't be. Knox's blood seemed to turn ice cold, like those . . . the shadowy figures in that movie-Harry Potter, was it?- did to the surroundings and the people near them. The younger girl seemed to feel just as affected. She whispered something inaudible to Knox's ear, but the boy behind her seemed to hear her. _

"_Elli, what's wrong?" the boy demanded fiercely. Knox saw that his fists were clenched tight around his bow. _

_Ha. As if an arrow could try piercing a spirit. _

"_We really only wanted one child, you know . . ." Ania said aloud. _

"_Either that, or we'll take all of you," Lupa sneered. Knox continued to watch as the girl look back pleadingly at the boy. Any more of this talk, Knox was going to fall asleep due to boredom. _  
_All of a sudden, he remembered Kronos' words to him during their last conversation. _

'_Do you have it,' He'd said. Knox took out what looked like a small stone from his pocket. On the stone was a mark. A sickle. The sign of the Titan Lord._

_Eight minutes. Time _is_ precious. Why would he need this right now? _

_Before he could tune back in and listen anymore to the conversation, a flash of pain entered his mind. _

_**[xxx]**_

"_So you were the other one!" The girl giggled as she walked alongside him happily. Knox felt his arms swing in a carefree manner at his sides. This girl was twelve years old, and he was about three years older, but it's finally been the first time he'd found someone just like him. His hand patted the pocket of his light blue aviator jacket. He'd bought it along the way, although it cost the last of his money. At least it was warm. _

"_Why, does the book really matter that much?" Knox asked, looking at her bright hazel eyes. Her dirty blond hair was down, for once. She'd told him that usually she would tie it up in a ponytail. Knox wondered why it was down today. _

"_Of course it does!" she said, slightly surprised that he'd asked that question. "We're the only ones she gave it to." she smiled. Knox felt his heart lighten at her joyfulness. She was always so happy. Her brow furrowed, and immediately, Knox wanted to know what was wrong. _

"'_Something bothering you?" he asked._

"_I don't know . . ." she said, trailing off. "I . . . I miss my friends." _

"_Do I know one of them?" Knox asked, a smile playing on his face. The girl grinned. _

"_Yeah right, Knox. But I really wish I could meet my best friend," She said. Her face lit up. "She's still here, you know? But I guess she's in Camp Half-Blood. And dang, she has a powerful godly parent, you know. She's kinda young, too. Young, but talented," she said, smiling. As long as she was smiling, Knox didn't mind. _

"_Does she have a weapon?" Knox asked, trying to keep the conversation going. _

"_Oh, no. At least not that I know of yet. She's not good with weapons, only because she's so small, and the weapons there are so heavy and are meant for teenagers." she explained. Once again, her eyes got brighter. "I have a picture! Let me sho-"_

_She was already reaching into her pocket, but as soon as she was halfway there, her hand stopped. _

"_You don't have it," Knox finished. _

"_I forgot completely," the girl said. She looked at Knox, her face suddenly holding a disappointed and sad expression. She held up her hand. "This isn't me, you know that, right?" _

_Knox could almost feel a new sadness boiling inside him. "It's okay. I think I might've seen her previously, remember?" _

"_Oh yes, but you'd only caught a glimpse of her that time, when I first met you," Melanie said happily. _

_Knox stared at the sky in wonder, feeling relaxed under the warm sun and the beautiful clouds. "I've known you for such a short time, yet I feel as though you are an important friend of mine." _

"_Then help me, then," she pleaded, tears suddenly flowing out of her eyes. "Bring me back." the girl shuddered, and it looked as though the very mien of her seemed to change. "I must go." she said numbly. Knox couldn't believe his eyes, but the girl looked as though she was fading from his vision. _

"_No," Knox whispered, reaching out his hand. "Don't leave me, please." _

_She disappeared. _

_**[xxx]**_

_That was two years or so after the incident. When he'd first met her, he'd seen who she was back then. But it didn't matter, before or after. She was still the same._

_Knox was jolted out of his senses. He'd been day dreaming for too long. Again. _

"_Aw, this is so sad, isn't it Lupa?" Ania said. He looked at the scene in front of him. The younger girl was standing much closer to them now. _

"_We will see how she thinks of all of this, I suppose," Lupa growled. _

How _she_ thinks of all this,_ Knox thought. Could it be? _

_He looked at the younger girl. It was her. She was the one. Knox's anger flared violently. At the same time the younger girl stepped forward, Knox took a step into the open. _

"_No! Elli, don't!" The boy cried out. Elli. That was her name. _

_At that instant, Knox threw the small stone at where the younger girl and the spirits stood. There was a flash of light, and when Knox regained his eyesight, he could see that everything was frozen. Well, everything but him, the spirits, and Elli at least. Behind Elli, Knox could see the boy behind her, his hand stretched out in mid-air, his face in full terror and panic. He and the girl next to him were frozen solid. Elli whipped around, stunned at what had become of her companions behind her. It only took her a few seconds to take in what was happening around her. _

"_Y-You," Elli spluttered, her gaze directed at Knox. Knox glared back at her. She was so tiny. The spirits in front of her froze for a second, as if controlled under Knox's small gadget, but Knox then realized that they were watching him and the girl in front of him, as if contemplating and pondering about what was happening. _

"_Yes, me," Knox said, his voice growling with anger. He remembered when he first saw her, how he remembered her face when that disastrous incident happened. _It was her fault,_ Knox thought, _It still is.

"_I know what you're thinking, but-" Elli warned._

"_She's there, isn't she?" Knox demanded. He looked at the spirits. _

"_How did you find us," Elli asked. _

"_Never mind that," Knox snapped back. He took a few steps toward Elli. "Remember that day? When you did that horrible deed? That-"_

"_Shut up," Elli said, tears appearing in her eyes. So she hasn't forgotten. "I didn't mean-"_

"_It was because of you!" Knox yelled, storming toward her. Elli stood there, tears rolling down her cheeks, as she watched him walk toward her. Why wasn't she moving? Why wasn't she running? Couldn't she see that he was going to hurt her? "It's your fault!" he shouted. _

"_I know," Elli said quietly. Knox stopped. They were directly in front of each other, now a few inches apart. Can this girl only be so young? She didn't act like it. The tears seemed to have stopped flowing, and Knox was surprised at this. "That's why I'm leaving."_

"_No," Knox said, gritting his teeth. "You do not deserve such a thing. Forgiveness is something you have to earn, _Elli." _He spat out the name as if it was a dead fly that was caught in his mouth. _

_If only she hadn't been so weird. Or just . . . unusual. It was almost unnerving to see that girl will her sword back into a necklace and clasp it around her neck. Was she surrendering?_

"_I'm sorry you feel that way," she said, her voice turning hard. "But I have to try." _

"_Well, I feel even more sorry for you," Knox said, his teeth gritting harder. "You've already tried." In the next moment Knox summoned all that he could muster, controlled and intensified by his anger, as he lunged toward the girl. Knox didn't need a weapon; he can hurt someone just as easily and heartlessly as a son of Ares would. Elli didn't even move. _

_She cried out in pain as a beam of power shot toward her solar plexus. It looked as though she had just lost a large amount of air in her body, and in the next instant, the girl in front of him collapsed onto the ground, gasping in pain. After so much training and fighting, Knox didn't feel anymore of the sympathy for those he'd killed. He knew how to use his magic well. His hands were its greatest source. However, before he could do anything, the spirits interrupted him. _

"_My, my," Lupa hissed. "We've watched for a while only for our entertainment, but we cannot accept this kind of discrepancy to occur at a time like this." _

_Knox only had one idea in mind. "Leave her here," he said. He really should be asking politely at the moment, but he didn't care. "Take me instead. You _know_ who I am, don't you?"_

"_Of course," Lupa said. "But, my child, we feed only on sadness and pain. _

"_We do not hunger for the happiness you would produce if you came along with us." Ania sobbed. It'd been a while since she'd last spoken. Knox looked down at the girl, who, still gasping in pain, seemed to be trying to recover from the nearly fatal blow he had given her. _  
_Suddenly he felt weaker. Damn. This wasn't the time for side-effects to take over after using too much power._

"_I want to see her-" Knox began fiercely. However, his voice wavered. He'd done too much today. _

"_Woopsies," Lupa sneered. "You're time is up, your weapon is failing." _

_Before Knox realized what was happening, he was thrown backwards off his feet, as if a new invisible force had thrust him away. In his vision, he saw the spirits vanish, the girl disappearing along with them. Knox wanted to cry out in anger, but as soon as he banged his head into the nearest tree, he knew they were gone when he realized that the boy with the emerald jacket was already starting to unfreeze. Knox emitted one soft groan of pain before his eyesight blurred. As soon as his body hit the ground, he blacked out. _

_His eight minutes were gone._


	16. Chapter 16: Piano Fantasy

**ahh :D and finally it has come to this, hasn't it? :) We're starting up again! but it'll start slow . . . then faster . . . then we'll be flying sooner that we all know it :) This chapter's only a filler, so please be patient :D I still need to finish the Dark Tide for it to seriously all come together!**

**Maria: Thank you so much for the review :) I hope you read this chapter to know that I'm still writing! :) **

**ConcreteAngel: You're probably getting sick of my never ending thanks, but too bad :) THANK YOU! :D**

**Review :) **

**-Olo Eopia03 **

* * *

Chapter 16: Piano Fantasy

* * *

_Mozart or Brahms? Violin music's not really my type of forte. . . _

Allen couldn't think straight. His hands were on the wheel, his eyes on the road in front of him, and his foot pressed gently against the gas pedal. 91.5 wasn't such a bad station, and he didn't care whether or not Kalley thought of him as a classical music geek.

The quick articulated notes the violinist produced zipped through his mind like a swarm of bees, and for the first time classical music wasn't there to assuage the panic that brewed in his mind.

They were on the freeway, but he wished that there was a faster way to San Francisco. It'd already been a day since Elli'd been gone. Allen's mind was buzzing with madness, despite the fact that he was still on the freeway.

_Definitely Mozart. Too light and fluffy to be Brahms. Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Telemann, Mendelssohn; Romantic era. Mozart; Classical era; 1750's to 1830's; only one melodic- _

"Hey Allen, are you okay?" Kalley asked. Allen looked next to him, and saw that she was staring at him intently. Already she had taken out the dagger that had been sitting in the pack Hermes had given them and placed it in her jacket pocket. The hilt of the dagger poked out of the left pocket, and Kalley dug her hands deeper into her pockets. Her attempts to hide the weapon from him were fruitless, nevertheless. Kalley growled, knowing exactly what Allen was thinking. "I'm not giving the knife back. I've just rightfully earned it after surviving the attack when the tent inside the backpack exploded for no reason."

"That means everything in there's being knocked out of place!" Allen cried out in irritation.

"Hey! It almost stabbed my eye out!"

"You triggered the tent to open!"

"And you don't care about my eye?"

Allen sighed. "Let's stop by. I can't concentrate at the moment. Aren't you a little hungry, too?" he asked. Kalley nodded, huffing as she slumped into her chair. Allen relaxed as he headed toward the nearest exit. Staring at the wheel, he noticed that the sleeves of his emerald jacket were starting to wear out. He really liked this jacket. Wearily, he reached up and ran his hand through his hair. What were they going to do? There was no way of contacting Chiron anymore, let alone anyone else.

They could trust no one now.

Just as Allen stopped at a traffic light on a local street, he felt his head lighten a little.

_Boss, picked up a trail. It never really occurred to us, but it's just way too obvious. They're taking her to San Francisco. _

Allen smiled to himself, despite the weak feeling he was starting to have. Communication between long distances was his specialty either.

"Kalley, Gus and Conan found a trail," Allen murmured. Kalley looked up, startled. Allen almost felt the same way. They'd found her scent so quickly!

"Gus, what do you mean they're taking her to San Francisco?" Allen asked out loud.

_They're travelling right now. By the sign of things, there wasn't a struggle, so it seems to be that she's unconscious at the moment, _Gus said.

"Unconscious?" Allen said, his expression turning to worry. When she disappeared she looked fine. Did something happen?

_But Allen, _Conan growled. Allen could tell the two were still on the run due to Conan's heavy breathing. _The Daimones are getting close. Even though we've found one, which was actually a miracle, it's starting to get fuzzier as we're approaching our destination. Although it's still a long way's away, it's almost strange that their scent's getting weaker. If any, it should get stronger. _

Allen nodded. _Guys, you've done enough. I can feel that you're tired. _Allen thought, feeling relief spread all over him. _You don't know how thankful I am. Gus, meet me there at San Francisco. I'll find you. Conan. Thank you._

'_Kay boss! Tuning out! _

"What did they say?" Kalley asked as the car finally slowed to a stop. Allen realized they were in front of a fancy cafe.

"They've found a trail," Allen said, "And we will find her." Kalley smiled.

"See, there really wasn't anything to worry about, Allen," Kalley said as she opened the door of the car and got out.

_Maybe she's right,_ Allen thought.

**[xxx]**

_7:46 P.M., _Kalley thought. _How can it be closed at a time like this? _

She looked up at the sign of the restaurant, and realized that lights too were starting to dim. Allen groaned.

"Now what?" he asked as he walked away back into the car. Kalley closed her eyes. Maybe if she tried . . .

_7: 30 P.M., A man, dressed in a white apron with a bundle of keys in his hand, walked around the store as he started to turn off the stove in the kitchen. It'd been a long day at work. Walking to the front door, he thought that it'd be okay to leave the lights a little dim, just for today. He'd checked all the windows to make sure they were closed, but he wasn't certain if they were locked or not. The window in the back couldn't close all the way, but it wouldn't be noticeable at all to anyone, considering that it was in the very back of the building . . . _

"There's an open window, Allen," Kalley said, her voice wavering. She felt a little tired, but she'd never done _that _before. Allen came back quickly.

"What do you mean?" Allen said, his voice filled with bewilderment.

"I don't really know exactly," Kalley said. She felt exactly the same way Allen did. "I just see . . . like stuff that happened earlier today. I think I just peeked at the past a little. Apparently the owner of the shop just left."

Allen looked at her strangely, and Kalley really wanted to sock him on the shoulder. She hated it when people looked at her differently. Allen shook his head. Was that a smile?

"Then let's go," Allen said. "It'll only be one night."

**[xxx]**

As Kalley dropped to her feet from the window into the cafe, warmth immediately spread throughout her whole body. She'd left the pack in the car. Allen would get it; after all, she didn't trust that crazy mechanism anymore. Although the cafe looked really nice, it still looked like it'd been on this street for almost too long. Coffee colored walls surrounded the big room, where round tables and empty chairs were placed randomly on the black and white checkered floor. The lighting was dim, but bright enough to see that there was a nice black grand piano at the corner of the room. The counter to the right of the room was empty except for a big cash register sitting on top. As far as she could tell, the man she'd seen in her vision must've been in the kitchen, which appeared as a door next to the room smelled like coffee beans and . . . bread.

"Hey," Kalley felt a hand on her shoulder, noticing Allen's presence by her side. "You okay?" Kalley nodded.

As Allen salvaged any leftovers he could find for them in the refrigerator, Kalley walked over to the piano and sat on the soft, black leather bench in front of it. It was a peculiar bench, one with a headrest as long as the width of the bench so someone could even rest their head on it. Kalley supposed the person who owned the piano must've been lazy, or there might've been another companion next to him who could sit with him and talk.

Opening the lid to the keyboard, Kalley realized that there was a really light layer of dust on the black and white keys. Immediately Kalley could tell that this piano hadn't been used for two years and six and a half months.

"I've got us muffins and milk," Allen announced as he placed the plate on a nearby table. Slowly he walked by and sat on the bench next to Kalley. Allen placed his fingers on what looked like familiar holds to him.

"Allen, I'm worried," Kalley said. She could feel Allen's eyes on her as she continued to look at the piano.

"Is it about Elli?" Allen asked.

"Not just that," Kalley said. "I feel as though something bad will keep happening to us. Even if we get back to your camp, will I even fit in?"

"Even if you're not welcomed at first, you'll fit in eventually," Allen said. Kalley hoped he didn't see the quick bitter expression she'd instinctively made. "Everyone undergoes times like those all the time."

"I'm still scared," Kalley said. Allen looked at her again.

"What could you possi-"

"Allen, I'm scared of myself."

Allen glanced at her, then looked at the keyboard again. By the time he'd looked back into her eyes, it'd felt as though a whole century had passed.

"I think of time as a teacher to us all, Kalley. We gain so much wisdom as we keep living like this, you know?" Allen said. Kalley ruminated on this as she watched Allen's fingers lightly touched the keyboard again.

"You play?" she asked.

"Of course," Allen said. "I'm more into classical music and archery than I am to drama and writing, though."

"So I've noticed," Kalley said, looking at Allen. He was still staring at the keyboard of the piano. "Play something."

Allen looked at her; saw his melted brown eyes soften even more as he nodded. In a moment Kalley saw his fingers dance across the keyboard. The melody that sang from it was a sad one, yet filled with hope at the same time as the phrases of music connected together like a flowing river.

**[xxx]**

Allen let go of all the worries he'd been holding for so long. It'd been a while since his hands had glided across a keyboard like this. It was a little dusty, sure, but as the song was prolonged he could feel the warmth that resonated in every note he played. He looked over, and was delighted to see the look of bewilderment in Kalley's eyes. When the piece came to an end, Allen leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. It really was a funny looking chair.

"You know, Kalley," Allen said. "Do you still remember the pheonix I told you about?" Kalley nodded. "Well, I feel as though it might happen to me one day. Everyone goes through a position like that every time in their lives."

"You get really annoying, you know," Kalley said, yawning. Allen sighed as he sat back up to play another piece. As the piece flowed naturally through his fingers a second time, Allen thought about what happened a the other day.

He really hoped Elli was okay, even though he knew she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. But she was unconscious at the time. Was she really okay? Allen thought back, two years ago, when the three people who'd been on a quest for the golden apple came back. The tears that welled up in many faces. Chiron's expression of disbelief. It was just too shocking to remember it again. . .

Allen looked over his shoulder as a gentle touch brought him back to his senses. It looked like Kalley must've fallen asleep in the middle of his piano playing, her head resting softly on his shoulder. Allen listened to her quiet, deep breathing as he brought the song to a close. Allen leaned back into the chair and yawned, Kalley still resting on his shoulder. Even though it felt a little weird, he had to admit it. A warm feeling was spreading through his whole body. Now that she was sleeping, Allen saw the calm features on her expression, the soft auburn colored hair that rested on her shoulders, and the closed golden brown eyes. She does look a little cute . . .

They were way too exhausted to even eat. Soon, Allen had already fallen asleep as well.

**[xxx]**

"_The Garden of Hesperides," The voice whispered. He was still weak. There was no body strong enough to hold him. _

"_B-brings b-back old memories, master," Kalley could barely see through the darkness, but she could almost swear that she could see the outlines of a person. _

"_The boy is foolish and unwise. He should've known _you_ were always here in front of him." _

"_H-he doesn't know my identity, sire," The high-pitched feminine voice answered._

"_He doesn't need to," The knife grating voice answered. "If you fail, he will be there ready to take her." _

"_F-fail?" The voice said, raising her voice. "You, of all people, believe _I, _I-" _

"_Enough," The voice snapped. "You've already failed once." _

"_I've had the power to start a war-" _

"_Enough!" The voice hissed, louder this time. The shadow of the other presence shrank significantly, cowering under the power and intense atmosphere the other was producing. "We will leave the plans to the hands of the boy if you keep up this brash behavior." _

"_Yes, Master." The latter voice whispered. Soon, Kalley felt its presence vanish like a cold wind. _

"_The time is almost right, my child," the voice said. "Soon the fate of everything will fall into your hands. I will teach you the right way . . ."_

_The two eyes blinked open at Kalley, and she immediately recalled the dream she had about a week ago. Two golden, bright eyes . . . They almost looked identical to hers. Kalley couldn't feel more horrified than ever. It can't be . . ._

"We have to go," Allen said.

Kalley opened her eyes. Allen was already on his feet, munching on a muffin. Kalley groaned as she too shakily got up to her feet.

"Good morning to you too," Kalley said, grabbing a muffin and taking a bite out of it.

"I think there's something wrong." Allen said. Kalley continued to look at him as she chewed slowly. The blueberries really tasted good.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Allen said slowly, his hand running through his brown hair. "That trail was almost _too_ easy to find. I know Conan is one of the best trackers that could even meet those wolves that serve Apollo, but it's so surprising that he could find the daimones in only one day."

"Well," Kalley said after finish a glass of milk, "Man's best friend, right? You can't underestimate that."

"Conan's a wolf, by the way. Not a dog."

"Well, _I_ think we should leave," she said, yawning as she continued to ignore Allen. "Because the owner will unlock the door in in about three minutes and seven seconds."

"Gotcha," Allen said, shouldering his backpack. "It's already-"

"7:38 P.M.," Kalley said, yawning again. For the hundred and fortieth time, Allen looked annoyed. "Yeah, he's late by like 11 minutes already."

"F.Y.I.," Allen said, "I have a watch and I can also add numbers."

"Well, F.Y.I. to you, mister," Kalley said as the two walked toward the window. They could hear a faint sound of a key scratching into the lock behind them as the two jumped out of the sill and continued to walk to the car. Soon, the owner will notice a shortage of muffins and milk, and perhaps a cleaner piano. Kalley really hoped the owner would be fine with it. They should come back and visit again some day. "I'm the daughter of Time."


	17. Chapter 17: They Meet Again

**Review**

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 17: They Meet Again

* * *

"_Is she dead? You promised to keep her alive!" _

"_We did not inflict this upon her! That boy did . . ." _

"_Boy? What boy? Was it-" _

"_We can't remember. All that we know is that she's suffering from a nearly fatal blow." _

"_So she's almost dead."_

"_Depends if you decide to hurt her more." _

"_She'll regain her consciousness soon. The lady might need her." _

Elli groaned. She couldn't move a muscle. If she did, her whole body would feel as though it would catch on fire. Not that she'd almost experienced such a thing. She felt the chain of Parodikos running down her neck. At least that was safe. She felt the cold, stone hard ground beneath her body. Where was she? She opened her eyes, only to surprise herself even more. What is this?

"_I'm sorry! No! Please come back!" _

Elli winced, stubbornly blocking out her mind. Why was she remembering such a delicate subject at a time like this?

"_Don't leave! Please, it's my fault!" _

Elli tried to stand up, but could only get to her knees before crying out in pain. There wasn't any blood, but her whole chest and middle area felt as though they'd been impaled by a sword. Who was it again? Knox . . .

"_I should be dead! Not you!" _

Elli felt the tears running down her cheeks. She tried -with difficulty- to keep a sob from escaping her throat. What's happening? Why are these memories coming back to her?

"So you remember?" Elli heard a voice whisper in the darkness. It felt as though it'd been coming from right next to her. "I remember them too."

That voice. How long had she not heard that voice? Had it been four years? Four _long_ years?

"N-no." Elli said. Her voice cracked as she felt a wall behind her. She could feel more tears run down her cheeks. A sob escaped her lips as she tried desperately to hold them back. She knew that voice. No matter how long time would pass, she would know that voice anywhere. Out of fear and faintness, Elli leaned against the wall.

"Yes."

It was too obvious now. And frightening. This was impossible. Elli had seen it through her own eyes. How can she still be here? It was the voice of her best friend.

"Y-you're dead." Elli stammered, looking wildly around. Just like all those years ago, she saw a light that began to grow in the middle of the room that she was in . . . No. It was a cave. "Y-you have to be." The figure who was standing ten feet away from her laughed. The same laugh from all those years. It almost sent more visions running through Elli's mind. Memories of pain. Sadness. Happiness.

"Now's my chance, Elli!" The girl's voice said.

"W-what do you mean?" Elli asked. She couldn't keep her voice under control. Any more surprises, she was sure she'd be traumatized forever.

"I'm here to kill you."


	18. Chapter 18: The Twins Make a Visit

**Hi guys :O Sorry I haven't written in so long!  
This chapter is long, so hope you guys like it :) Sigh. I think we're almost reaching the end . . . not :) **

**For those of you who have read _The Dark Tide, _I think it's time we start to make connections here :) The Leather Book in Chapter Seven from Time Of an Heir is the _same _leather book Melanie gave to Elli. The boy in _The Dark Tide _who was with Melanie in the carnival is the _same_ boy, Knox, from Time For An Heir. And yes, the cave that Elli found at the end of _The Dark Tide,_ is also the same lair that Elli mentioned in near the beginning-middle of _Time For An Heir. _Yeah I know these things are hard to spot, due to the slow pace I am writing at :( sorry. But yeah. **

**Final Exams are coming up, so don't expect a chapter soon :| guys, guess what? It's almost been a year since this story began! :) Kalley must really hate me, huh? :D **

**Good luck to you all :D Happy Mother's Day! and click the button at the bottom . . . Review :D **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 18: The Twins Make a Visit

* * *

_As his sword slashed through the air, the presence was immediately replaced by a golden dust that exploded into the emptiness. It was almost too easy for him to cut and slash at those vicious monsters, though it one of the toughest of its kind. They were still filled with a handful of flaws. How much _more_ can he take of this? How long-_

"_Your training might actually pay off soon, boy." _

"_You mean she's-" Knox began, whipping around to face the mist. The tall body that he'd gotten so used to seeing two years ago had expired quickly. _

"_You're still weak." Knox felt the anger rise up him like the steam in a kettle. How many times had he been told that? "You slash through them with ease, yet you let their life linger on a little longer than one with better skill." _

"_These monsters are nothing compared to me!" Knox yelled. Knox was right. Just mindlessly giving such useless drills were starting to act as an insult than some sort of elite training. "No matter how many more you send me, I'll kill them all! You're wasting your time!" _

"_Three times, you will fail."_

_Knox froze. Kronos had never said such a thing before. He felt the air around him intensify threateningly. Three times? He'd already failed once, that was for sure. _

"_You mean twice," Knox muttered. How stupid did Kronos think he was?_

"_Three times, you will fail." _

_The blood that ran through his veins turned into ice. _

Knox opened his eyes as he wiped his face. His hair was wet from the droplets of sweat that were falling down his face. His hands felt cold and clammy. Another dream.

Usually a person would just sit there as they took time to recover from their sleep. However, Knox was different. Always be alert. You want to bring her back don't you? Knox's eyes scanned quietly through the darkness. It would just be a waste to appear on the ground. He could easily jump down. He felt the tough bark beneath his fingers as he leaped quietly off the tree. He'd been making his way toward San Francisco for half a day now. It was time to continue.

He knew where she was, or at least where he _might _find her. He'd almost waken up the whole town when he woke up from being knocked out against the tree. He almost _had _it. He was so close to reaching _her._ He could save her, and then he would just kill Kronos in cold blood. He didn't need him anymore after that. The titan was still miserably weak.

He landed onto the ground silently. He could always arrive at the place everyone called camp. He'd find the girl there. Easy. But he wanted to see _her_. He didn't so much care for the one Kronos was after. After all, the boy was very strong. It looked like he had a lot of experience in archery; Knox had never seen anyone hold a bow so precisely, yet with such ease. Son of Apollo. The heir could take of herself, as well. The boy may not know it, but she's almost too powerful for anyone.

That's why it was best to capture her now, while Knox was stronger.

Knox flexed his hands. The journey today might be a long one. His own form of transportation was faster than most, but uncertain at the fact if he might make it before those two or not. It was one of the few that was only allowed to him alone.

Damn those spirits. Knox almost wanted to punch a tree as he trudged along the hidden path. They were the same spirits as before.

He vowed he'd see her one day. Being late was out of the option.

**[xxx]**

"_Di immortales!" _Allen cursed as the two walked down the streets. The restaurant they'd been in was located on the edge of Utah. And now they couldn't get anywhere. Who knew anyone would be able to jack a BMW?

Yeah, the car had been stolen the minute they got out of the restaurant. Lovely, right?

"You can always look at the bright side, Allen," Kalley said, shrugging. "You got the pebble and everything else. Your bow and arrows are here too."

_I suppose she's right,_ Allen thought, fingering the silver bow at his shoulder. They were already entering Nevada, but to anyone else it really just looked like a pair of teenagers starting their lives as hobos. The people around them kept staring at their torn up clothes and Allen's weapons that hung on his back. The two of them _did _kind of looked a little . . . no. They looked absolutely horrible. You wouldn't be able to put it in any nicer way possible.

Allen's hair, although naturally spiked up at the top of his head, was full of dirt and twigs. He tried to dust it off, but there would still at least be dirt left. His hair looked a lot more brown than usual. His face was even smudged in a couple of places, and his emerald colored jacket was starting to reach the end of its life, too. Even his shoes were starting to get a little worn out. Kalley didn't look too good either. Her hair was tied up in a ragged ponytail, but anyone could easily see how knotted it was. Her jeans were ripped so much she was almost tempted the other day to just cut it up shorter to make it look like a pair of shorts. And she couldn't do that. She'd freeze in the nighttime before they even reached five miles.

Yeah. It's probably only _been_ five miles.

The drachmas were gone, but they still had a little cash to scrape them through. They had no way of communicating with any other demigod unless they wanted to be eaten alive by monsters. Allen looked like an idiot with a long silver bow in his hand, too. Hopefully the civilians thought of archery class as soon as they saw him, but Allen really wasn't so sure. He kept thinking of how Elli was doing. How could the BMW possibly be jacked at a time like this?

If it _was _jacked early, they wouldn't have experienced being killed by the Lamia, or let alone camping in Kansas.

Or they could've just been chased by monsters to their very death. None of the two choices were really very appealing. Allen almost wanted to kick a wall. It was obvious that anyone could reconnoiter that Allen and Kalley looked like they were up to no good. The both of them agreed that they were reaching the point of hunger. Not starvation yet, but to the point where your mouth would start to water at the sight of something to eat.

"There," Kalley said. It looks like Kalley was thinking the exact same thing. The fast food restaurant was the first station of food they'd seen in a day now. Not even bothering to make an agreement, the two of them marched toward the open doors. It didn't look dangerous at all.

In a short amount of time, the two were already seated at a table, each chowing down on some dinner. The restaurant wasn't first class or anything, but it was enough for them to order what they wanted. The walls were a brown, dusty color. Seven rectangular tables were aligned near the counter. The room smelled of burgers and French fries. It was already starting to get dark. The stars weren't very visible in the night sky at this point; the pollution was evident in this part of the state. Even so, Allen knew it was better than New York.

_Impenetrable skin. It's fangs bearing formidably at them. _

"_Look at me." _

_The monster was dead already. Pick up the brown coat. Run ahead._

"_No! You can't do this!"_

"_I want to." _

Allen shook his head. Was this a dream? Was that Elli?

"Hey, are you okay?" Kalley asked, staring at him intently. Allen started out from his daydreaming.

"Yeah," Allen said, rubbing his temple as he squeezed his eyes for a second. "I think I just saw something."

"Well all you see is me right in front of your face," Kalley muttered. "You could be kind enough to hide your annoyance at me. I get headaches just by looking at you too you kno-"

"It's not that," Allen said, almost smiling. But still, a worried feeling passed through his mind. "I saw a monster."

"Where?" Kalley said. Allen could see the sandwich in her hands getting squeezed slowly. Allen grabbed a pen from his pocket as Kalley nudged a clean napkin forward. He was a son of Apollo, and poetry was definitely not his strength. The only things he actually took pride in were his music and sketching. It wasn't like paper, but Allen could make use of this. As the pen touched the wrinkled napkin, Kalley watched intently as Allen quickly scrawled something down. The sketch wasn't his best, but he could tell that Kalley watched with awe and curiosity.

There was a cave. And at the entrance stood a vicious lion.

"The Nemean Lion," Allen said as he pushed the napkin toward her. Kalley's fingers fidgeted as it tore the corner of another napkin.

"Was that all you saw?" Kalley asked.

"I saw a brown coat, and I heard some stuff, but they don't seem to help much." Allen said. His blood was chilling to the bone. Kalley scrutinized the piece of paper.

"Well, we probably won't even know about this until we actually see the monster, right?" Kalley asked. "We can't worry about this now."

"That's true, but we have to keep moving," Allen said, gathering the food from his plate. Most of the stuff on there were half-eaten. Kalley reluctantly followed as they walked toward the trashcan.

_The door crashes open as something monstrous barges through. _

_Its two horns poked out from the sides of its head. _

What else was this now?

"Allen . . ." Kalley murmured, her hand freezing over the garbage. "I think there's something wrong."

There was a bang as Allen pushed Kalley out of the way. The impact from the loud crash was so enormous though that they were pushed into the tables and landed onto the ground. The two doors opened as screams filled the cold air. Allen immediately unslung the bow from his back, his body still laying the ground as they two faced the monster in front of them.

_Minotaur,_ Allen thought. It wasn't a very bright monster, but still deadly. It would only be a matter of time before another monster comes around.

"You can predict something for later, but you would think of a bull man coming in the restaurant?" Kalley snapped. For a time Allen had thought she'd cooled down for a couple of days, but her stubbornness was starting to return. Yay.

"Kalley, it's so great to hear that side of you again," Allen said cheerfully as he jumped to his feet and shot an arrow towards the Minotaur. The Minotaur was huge, all right. But the only relieving thing was that he was wearing a pair of shorts instead of what they used to say in the stories. Thank the gods Allen wouldn't see such a horrific sight. The projectile sang through the air as it shot toward the Minotaur. It roared in anger as it glanced down to see the arrow sprouting from its side. Allen smirked.

By this time there were no more people in restaurant, except for a lanky man cowering behind the counter. Allen saw him grab for the phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed 911.

A knife whipped past Allen's ear as it made its way toward the Minotaur. He almost wanted to turn around and start yelling at Kalley. His ear was almost chopped off! But he was glad he didn't turn around. Sadly, the knife missed its mark by a foot and a half. The Minotaur even started to twitch its ears at the lack of skill the person put into the throw. Allen couldn't help but burst out laughing, despite the fact that the Minotaur had started to charge at him.

"Shut up!" Kalley growled as Allen jumped as high as he could. In a few moments he grabbed the wire light that was hanging from the wall. This was just too fun. Using the remaining momentum, he swung, then let go, his feet aiming toward the head of the Minotaur. The Minotaur even stopped for a second, his glazed eyes obtusely staring upward to watch.

Immediately, Allen let the arrow loose while he was still in the air. The Minotaur was about to let out another loud roar.

An explosion of golden dust. The only thing left was the horn of the bull. Allen landed softly onto his feet as he retrieved his arrow. Allen picked up the horn, twirling it in his hand and then placing it in the bag. The bag transformed once again into a pebble as he placed it into his pocket. He looked at Kalley, feeling smug.

"Hey Allen, there's something outside," Kalley said, sounding as though she was trying to get the irritation out of her voice. "I don't really know, but I feel like we can get us out of here. And maybe there's even an academy for show offs. You'd fit right in, too."

"Oh come on, Kalley," Allen said. "Cheer up a little. Those monsters really love you!"

"Damn it, Allen," Kalley snapped as she walked past him out of the restaurant. "You can be such an _idiot_ sometimes."

Allen laughed as he mindlessly walked toward the counter where the older man was still hiding behind. Allen didn't really know what the man saw, but it couldn't be as horrifying as the real thing. The phone was already on the floor. The police are coming. Allen grinned at the man, then placed a wad of cash onto the counter.

"Thanks for the meal, man."

**[xxx]**

"Three, two . . . one." Kalley whispered as she and Allen stood outside the restaurant. She really should've gotten used to Allen by now, but he was just _too_ annoying. At the moment she said _one_ a car drove into the driveway and teenager left the car to walk into the restaurant. Allen snickered. Of course he would come in and not be able to order a burger or two.

"That's it?" Allen said. Kalley nodded. She knew it. She was right when she'd said something weird was going to happen. For some reason, she'd felt as though a ride would come to get them. Was this part of her controlling the future? Maybe she could travel through time's eye, perhaps even farther than Allen could? She also sensed that the Minotaur was coming too.

_But it wasn't strong enough._ Kalley thought. If she trained harder, maybe she could predict more. It was a little unnerving to have such a thought stuck into your head.

"Hurry, before he finds out he can't order takeout," Allen said. Kalley nodded. As the delinquent walked toward them, Allen started walking. In a sudden flurry, the older boy fell to the ground in surprise. The keys fell out of his pocket, and onto the ground. Kalley wondered how Allen was able to trip him so quickly. Kalley rushed forward.

"Hey!" The boy said as he faced Allen. "What's the matter with you, dude?"

"Sorry, man!" Allen said quickly as he stood up to brush his clothes. Obviously, the dirt didn't come off. Soon Allen was starting to brush the boy's own sleeve. The teenager yanked his arm away, staring at him with an annoyed look in his eyes.

_At least I know how _he_ feels,_ Kalley said as she stooped down to swipe the keys.

"Just watch where you're going, man," the boy said. But he turned around before Kalley could even slip the keys into her own pocket. "What the hel-"

Allen tapped his back, pulling the boy's shoulder to face him. He snapped. For some reason it sounded louder than usual as it echoed through the streets. Before Kalley knew it, the streets got quieter, and she felt a rushing wind blow through her auburn hair. The teenager's eyes looked glazed for a minute. It almost felt eerie.

"Don't you want a burger?" Allen asked.

"Yeah man . . . I'm . . . Ramen," The boy said. Allen stared at him, but Kalley could see he was trying not to laugh.

"Allen," Kalley said, feeling confused. "We have to go-"

"Um I'm not sure if they sell that man, but my friend like to borrow the car for a sec'," Allen said, pulling Kalley into view. The teenager nodded.

"Sure thing, man," The guy said. "Damn, you know, your girlfriend looks pretty ho-"

Before he could even finish the sentence, Kalley's fist shot toward his face. The poor guy thumped back onto the ground, completely knocked out. She felt her face grow hot with anger.

"Hey!" Allen said. "What did you do that for?"

"I was getting impatient," Kalley snapped. She felt her face grow hot with anger.

"I had things under control!" Allen said, still looking back at the fallen teenager as he followed Kalley to the car. "He was just a big fat dope. That's it."

"Well, at least we can get it over with," Kalley said as the two of them buckled themselves to the seats. She handed him the keys. In a few moments, they were already on the move. Kalley didn't even bother to look back at the unconscious boy behind them.

"You are no child of Hermes," Allen muttered as they sped back onto the road. Kalley huffed as she sank into her seat. It was starting to rain. The rain pattered on the glass. Kalley heard the radio turn on as the amplitude of the sound waves wavered. The classical music started to fill up the as the rain pattered harder. There was a thump on the ceiling.

"Did you hear that, Allen?" Kalley asked. The thump wasn't loud, but Kalley still heard it, all the same.

"What are you talking about, Kalley?" Allen asked, his eyes still focused on the road. "That was probably just the rain."

But Kalley couldn't help it still. She was tempted to roll down the window. It was as if -

_1 minute, 43 seconds. _Kalley couldn't get the voice in her head to stop. It's been telling her all sorts of useless things. Could it actually mean something?

_1 minute, 27 seconds. _

"Allen, we have about a minute." Kalley said.

"'Til what?" Allen asked. He looked just as confused as she did.

"Um, I don't know," Kalley admitted.

_1 minute, 13 seconds. _

Kalley closed her eyes. _Come on, _Kalley thought. _Show me more. _

And the vision did not bother to hesitate.

_A swerve to the left. There was a dent in the ceiling. It will attack on the right side of the car. The end will come if you swerve to quickly. A truck to the left. Water down below. _

_Damn it,_ Kalley thought. It was like a living Allen inside head. It came in stupid riddles.

_56 seconds. _

But maybe Kalley could make sense of this.

_Wings. A huge, robust body. Incredibly fast. Fat. _

Even better.

_42 seconds. _

"Allen," Kalley said. "We have 45 seconds."

"To _what?_" Allen said, almost sounding irritated.

"You have to turn left when I say so, okay?" Kalley said.

_23 seconds. _

"What are you talking about?" Allen said. Kalley could see the knuckles on his hands turning white against the wheel.

_17 seconds. _

"You have to trust me," Kalley said. "We're almost there." Allen gritted his teeth for a moment as he glanced at her.

"But-"

"Allen!" Kalley said, almost raising her voice.

_2 seconds._

"LEFT!" Kalley screamed as a deafening crash banged on top of the car. Allen swerved with all his might. The car jerked. Cars screeched by as their own car barged onto the wrong lane. Kalley grabbed for the latch of the window.

"No!" Allen cried out. But the window opened, and Kalley wished she hadn't done that. The window hadn't even opened halfway when a squeal pierced the air. Kalley yelped and jumped back as a fat hoof appeared out of nowhere. The glass shattered as it smashed through the glass.

A knife sprouted from the hoof. Then it disappeared.

Another squeal tore through the air.

"Thanks," Kalley said as Allen grabbed for the wheel again. He tossed the pebble to Kalley.

"Grab a knife," Allen said quickly. "Anything."

"Allen, what was that?" Kalley gasped as Allen swerved to the right. A truck horned by. At least they didn't get hit _this _time.

"No," Allen said. Even _he _started to sound a bit panicky. "I should be the one to ask a question, first! _How did you know that was going to happen?_"

"I can just tell, okay?" Kalley yelled over the clamoring rain. "It's a thing!"

"Why not?" Allen said in disbelief. "One more surprise and I think I'm going to die."

"Then you don't have much time left!" Kalley yelled. An idea came to her mind. "Let me drive."

"Are you crazy?" Allen looked at her, his eyes almost bigger than if Elli had looked at her strangely. "You don't-"

"I _know_ what I'm doing!" Kalley yelled as she unbuckled her seat belt. The car jerked again. The dent above them started to look more prominent. Allen unbuckled his quickly too. Kalley grabbed the wheel as Allen rolled down the driver's window.

"Ka-"

"_What do you think you're doing!" _Kalley said, almost terrified that he was starting to climb out of the window. The bow was already off his shoulder, and in his hand. "You call _me_ crazy?"

"Just trust me!" Allen said, almost grinning mischievously.

"I won't go easy on the car!" Kalley yelled. Allen gave a curt nod. Kalley wanted to bang her head on the wheel. She took Allen's seat as she heard him climb on top of the car. The car wheezed uncontrollably as Kalley stepped on the gas. They have to finish this.

**[xxx]**

Allen knew it wasn't Pegasus.

_So you're really a pig, not a giant,_ Allen thought miserably. _Sweet._

Surprises were the best things in the world.

The pig was . . . well, it was a pig. Only it was just five times its size with golden skin. Yup. Golden piggy on the loose. Underneath the snout was a mouth that bared unbelievably sharp fangs. You wouldn't even believe that it was a boar in the first place.

The Chrysaor screeched louder as Allen clambered onto the roof. If he stood, he'd slip. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. The flying boar darted down onto him as Allen struggled to get a grip on the car. The roof had such a small surface area, too. The car swerved again, causing the pig to miss miserable. Unfortunately, Allen almost fell off himself. Allen smashed his fist onto the roof.

"Take it easy!" Allen yelled.

"I just saved your life!" Kalley screamed. Allen looked forward, and saw she really was right. Despite the flying pig, Kalley was driving at 90 miles an hour. They hadn't crashed yet.

"Make it go faster!" Allen cried out. He heard her scream something inaudible, but he felt the wind get colder and faster as the car sped up. The air was almost suffocating but exhilarating. With Kalley's ability, the car could even go faster . . .

Pork chop appeared out of nowhere. Allen yelped as he slid to the back of the car on his back. An arrow shot toward the pig, sprouting on its belly. The boar screeched in pain. If Allen could yell something out loud, he'd say something like, _Take that, Porky! _But for now, he was just trying to stay alive on top of a slippery car that was swerving out of control. The pig went down a second time, but now Allen was ready. Slowly but surely, he stood on his feet, trying to resist the wet surface of the roof. He felt like a son of Poseidon. Raising his bow, he aimed to where his arrow had been before.

And released.

The pig screeched again, this time louder than before. Allen fell back on his face on the car, but rolled over to see that the arrow had split open the previous arrow. He laughed out loud. Almost better than the Hunters of Artemis!

The car swerved madly. Allen almost fell onto the black concrete, but it was good that his hand had caught hold onto the broken window Kalley had been sitting at. The broken glass dug into his skin as Allen held on, gritting his teeth.

"Take it easy! Will ya!" Allen yelled, starting to get annoyed as the car swerved again. The Chrysaor was still up in the air, trying to regain control.

"Hey! Be thankful you're still alive!" He heard Kalley yell back. Allen turned back as he let the arrow lose again with a twang. Three arrows in the pig now. When was it going to give up?

"Jeez, man!" Allen yelled. "Why are you so persistent?"

The car swerved madly again. Allen yelped as he bolted forward, banging his head on the front shield of the car.

"What do you mean I'm persistent!" Kalley said. She looked like she was trying to grin but her face still held that annoyed look.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Allen yelled grumpily as he banged on the roof of the car again, but gently this time. If Kalley gets pissed off one more time, Allen might as well take a ride on the piggy. The car was dashing across the bridge now. Except for the lights, it looked like it was already ten o'clock. Kalley would know. The traffic here was still horrible though. Underneath the bridge, Allen could see the vast blanket of black waters shimmering under the harsh rain. Allen wiped his face to clear his eyes from the droplets of water that were hitting his face. Kalley might still be dry, but he was definitely soaking wet. He flexed his bow. It was just an ordinary bow, for he wasn't given one at all by anyone, but it was still a good bow.

Suddenly, the car swiveled to the side of the road. Allen almost screamed like a girl because the swung off the edge and was holding onto the side of the car. Well, barely. Allen grunted as he pulled himself back up. Kalley wouldn't be so merciful if Allen had screamed. Thank the gods. Allen glanced upward as he saw Mr. Piggy dive down a second time.

"You okay up there?" He heard Kalley yell from under the roof.

"Of course! Just minor relapses of terror!" Allen yelled back.

"Glad to hear that you're normal!" At that moment, Allen felt something click in his mind.

"Kalley! Drop into the water!"

"_What? _Sorry, Allen, but I take back what I said earli-"

The car thrust violent across the road. Trucks and motorcycles honked and swiveled chaotically, trying frantically not to hit the fanatical car. Allen yelled and shouted inaudible things as the car spun uncontrollably. He rolled and saw the boar's large wings as it bared its sharp fangs towards him. The car burst through the road, plunging down into the water. They were just 5 feet away from the water. He saw the gleaming red eyes glaring back at him.

"_Is this really impossible? You know you can't do it," He said. _Allen locked himself within the gaze of the boar.

"_Too gentle with everything. That's why you keep losing." _

The boar screeched.

"_You lose." _

Allen smirked. "Nope," He said to himself, feeling the wind rushing through his ears. "That didn't happen, cousin, and the pigs are still flying."

The arrow sang through the air, and there was a burst of golden dust. Allen felt himself crash into the water. Immediately shaking out of his thoughts, he looked around, and saw the vehicle sinking lower to the bottom of the sea floor. She wasn't coming out.

Allen swam toward the car. He hoped she was okay, for once. He swam through the broken window, and saw Kalley, unconscious, but maybe okay. Maybe. He quickly unfastened the seatbelt that had been buckled on earlier. They needed to get out before Allen lost his breath too.

**[xxx]**

_Three times . . . Failure will meet your eyes. _

_There's no turning away from it. _

_The boy muttered something she couldn't hear. He looked as though he were frustrated. _

How could this be?

_Kalley shuddered. Could she hear what he was thinking? She edged closer. He was located in darkness, yet Kalley knew where his presence might be. And for some reason . . . she knew it was he. She could feel him closing his eyes, and they were closed for a long moment. _

_Kalley felt as though she was being sucked into something the more she looked at the boy. Why was it always this boy? He could be anyone . . ._

"_Wow, this is so unexpected," Eris said. "Wrong person, really. But who cares? No matter what, we know we'll meet again, is that right, daughter of Poseidon?"_

_The goddess disappeared from view, but Knox didn't pay attention to that. _

_The one he'd told he'd meet again for so long. His only connection to family. She was going to die. _

_The knife had struck her in the ribs. He knew it was a fatal blow. He knew he couldn't save her. The small girl fell on her own knees. How can _she_ be so weak? What was wrong with her? He wanted to yell and scream at the little girl to get up. He was sure he'd seen her before. She was the one with Melanie. She could've prevented this from happening. _

_It was her fault. _

_The golden apple they'd gone through so much trouble for was rolling limply on the ground. Another boy was there, running despite the ruin. His arm was a little twisted, but the sight in front of him was enough to take his mind off the pain. Knox had to admit that the boy was quick, for he caught the fallen girl before she could even hit the ground. He was yelling something that Knox couldn't hear, and by then another boy, taller and more muscular was also by her side. The little girl was there too. Knox clenched his fists. Melanie opened her mouth to say something, and-_

_The mist disappeared. Knox's eyes widened, then his surprise was immediately replaced with anger. _

"_Why did you do that!" Knox yelled, whipping around to face the tall man behind him. He couldn't see the man's eyes, but he could tell that they were glowing with intensity. The shadow of the hat the man was wearing covered his face. He was in his regular formal attire, but the man had told Knox that the _host - _or whatever that was - would soon crumble. For now, Knox needed to train. _

"_It was inevitable," The man said. _

"_It was avoidable!" Knox yelled. He wouldn't wipe the tears from his eyes. How could that _man_ let go of this so easily? How many murders had he seen in his life? "You said we'd help all of them! You promised that I would be great enough to save them! How can you watch and simply swipe it away?" _

"_You are _so _weak. She's alive, you know." The man said, his voice almost rising. The titan really hated it when Knox answered back, which happened often. He stepped forward and grabbed the collar of Knox's shirt. Knox didn't resist, but instead looked up and glared back at him. There was no way he was going to back down from this guy. The man's rage died down slowly. For once, he almost looked a little amused. He laughed. "You are interesting, little boy. But weak, and kind. Look at those _disgusting _tears. You will never be able to move forward this way." He thrust his arm without any effort, and Knox felt himself being thrown back onto the ground. The man walked away, his back turned away from Knox. _

_Knox got up quickly, gritting his teeth as he clicked the pocketknife open. The red sword glowed in his hand. He felt the power streaming through his veins his anger mounted. The next moment, he felt a whisper of the wind, and felt his own form disappearing. This was a sensation he was familiar with. It seemed like a couple of seconds, but really, it happened in less than a nanosecond. The next moment, Knox appeared in front of the man, facing him, and thrust his sword. _

_His right hand froze. Knox's anger disappeared for a moment. The man had caught his hand with his own so easily. The grip on Knox's hand was like iron, like steel. _

"_Foolish," Kronos said softly. He looked a little bored. "You should've known I could stop such a stupid move. One day there'll be another who could do the same to you. Maybe even two people." He swiped Knox's hand away, and the sword clattered to the ground. Knox just stood there as the man continued to walk away. "I must find another host. This body might not hold on much longer, you know." _

_Knox opened his eyes. Kalley shuddered once more. How did he do that? How could he mysteriously appear from one place to another?_

"_Three times, you will fail."_

_Kalley heard the voice in her head too. Was this what Knox could be feeling? Who was that girl who died? And what had really happened to Elli? Allen might know. _

"_Three times, you will fail." _

_The vision shifted. Was this some sort of dream? _

_In a moment, Kalley saw a woman standing in front of her. The long hair fell on her shoulders, and her intense gray eyes bore into Kalley's own. The woman glowed with a sort of . . . power. Was this a goddess? _

"_You're very close to death, you know," The woman said. _

"_Yep," Kalley said. "We almost got trampled on by a piggy, did you know that?" _

"_Don't make me regret helping you, Kalley Gladhart." The woman said. "Besides, I was not referring to short term circumstances." She glowed brighter, and for once Kalley decided it was to save the comments for later. _

"_Sorry," Kalley said. "But who are you?" _

"_You can consider me your secret ally," The woman said. "Just maybe. But you can also call me Athena." _

_Kalley didn't need to rack her brain for this one. "Goddess of Wisdom." _

"_Yes, I am most famed for that," Athena said. _

"_Why do I need some secret ally?" Kalley asked. _

"_It's forbidden that you know," Athena said. Something golden solidified in front of Kalley. "I am not one to help mortals, Kalley Gladhart, but you interest me." _

_A golden saddle appeared in front of Kalley. She took it in her hands. _

"_Thanks," Kalley said. "I'll tell Elli to give you a thank you too." _

"_I am not doing it for that girl, fool," Athena hissed. Kalley looked up at her defiantly. She guessed the goddess was used to seeing mortals cower beneath her, but Kalley wasn't going to take that. "Poseidon and I never get along well, but even _he_ has come to plead me to give you this." _

"_So what?" Kalley said. "Why do you even care about me, anyway?" _

"_The others may not agree with me," Athena said. "But war is never truly the answer." Kalley just felt as though more questions had entered her mind. _

"_You're starting to sound more like Allen, you know," Kalley grumbled. _

"_Show that saddle to him," Athena said. "He will know what to do. A lot of us were starting to get fond of the boy until he took on this mission." _

"_Am I allowed to curse gods and goddesses?" Kalley asked. "Because _I'm_ starting to get irritated. I have no clue what you are talking about." _

"_You better control that attitude of yours, girl," Athena hissed. "We must depart for now. There is not much time." _

"_Please," Kalley said, almost reaching out for the goddess. "Wait-"_

"_Farewell, Kalley Gladhart." _

**[xxx]**

Kalley coughed, feeling the water being ejected from her lungs. She gasped for air, slowly opening her eyes. She sat up, shivering. There was a throbbing near her left temple, but for now she decided it not best to complain. She was soaking wet. Where were they? She heard Allen sigh in relief.

"W-what happened?" Kalley stammered. Her teeth were chattering uncontrollably. It was so cold. Allen was sitting in front of her, looking just as wet.

"The Chrysaor slammed us off the bridge," Allen explained. "And you hit your head. But it's okay, the pig's gone now. Are you okay?" Allen was looking at her with concern on his face. "It looked like you hit your head really hard."

"You actually . . . killed it?" Kalley said. Allen nodded. Wow. For once she wondered how strong Allen really was. Maybe he could be better than he was letting on. She looked around. The bridge was not very far away from them, but she could see the familiar lights of police cars wailing in the distance. They were on low ground, in some sort of dam. The water was a little murky, but Kalley guessed, it was better than falling on something solid. "Thanks."

"No problem," Allen said. "We have a new mission now, don't we? And we always have to help each other. And by the way, this thing popped up while you were unconscious."

He handed her the golden saddle.

"Athena told me you'd know what to do with this," Kalley said. She saw the raised brow of Allen's face. In a few minutes, Kalley finally decided to tell him everything, _including _the dream Knox had. Allen's face immediately fell.

"So it's even harder to tell now, isn't it?" Allen sighed to himself.

"What are you talking about?"

"The quest that the four had failed on. Well, I guessed it was sort of bittersweet. They didn't fail the mission, but they lost a life . . . or maybe two," Allen said.

"But the girl's alive," Kalley insisted, "Even Kronos-"

"I really don't know, Kalley, but for now we can't think of that." Allen said, feeling suddenly exasperated as he wrapped a towel around Kalley's shoulders, seeing that she was shivering violently. "I don't really know, Kalley. I don't even know who that guy was in your dream that you were talking about." Kalley decided to just leave him to ponder about that mess. She'd already had enough to deal with.

"I wonder how Elli's doing now," Kalley sighed. Allen pulled something out from the pack.

"I know you heal quickly, but I think you should still have some of this," He said, handing her a small square. It looked like a graham cracker. Kalley didn't see how this thing would miraculously make her feel better, but she tried it anyway.

As soon as the she put the biscuit in her mouth, it felt like something terrible had been done to the cookie, but immediately she took it back. At first she thought it was just a cracker of some sort; she recoiled as soon as she felt that the substance was soft. The "cracker," however, then exploded into a new flavor. Kalley felt the taste of fresh-baked bread in her mouth. Immediately, she was reminded of her time back at the bakery. It was the exact same bread. Homemade. Hot and freshly baked.

Instantly, she felt the color return to her cheeks, and suddenly, it feel so cold anymore. It felt so good. The pain in her head was starting to ebb away as well.

"Why didn't you give that to me earlier?" Kalley asked.

"You _were_ healing awfully quickly," Allen admitted. "It's called ambrosia. There's a drink just like it called nectar."

"Why does it taste so amazing?" Kalley said, eyeing the pack Allen cradled in his hands. It looked like Allen noticed it too.

"Having too much of everything is bad, you know," Allen warned. "They're actually food for the gods, but too much of it can blast you to pieces."

"For once," Kalley said. "You finally get to the point."

Allen flicked his hand as though swatting away the irritation as he turned away to gather up his bow and arrow. Miraculously, they were all still in there. Like all 30 of them. Allen caught her eye.

"They don't fill up quickly," Allen said. "But it's better than retrieving them over and over again."

"What are the different colors on the arrows?" Kalley asked. "And stopped reading my mind."

Allen laughed. "They do different things. And Kalley, sometimes I can't even tell what you're thinking."

"But now it feels like I'm an open book to you," Kalley said hotly.

"Fine fine," Allen said, holding his hands up in surrender. "But sometimes . . . I just can't tell."

**[xxx]**

_Hey boss. I think we found her._

Allen stopped moving as he watched Kalley get up.

_Where were you, chief? _Allen thought. _I haven't heard from you in ages._

_Never mind that, what about you? _Gus' voice crossed his mind. Allen could hear Conan's growling in the background. _You haven't contacted us either, and you're nowhere close to where we can even sense you. _

_Never mind that, too. It got a little complicated. _

_Were you buying me some cheese? _Gus asked. _That's always a complicated subject. I like the American Swiss. _

"Gus," Allen said, feeling a little irritated. He saw Kalley look at him in surprise. He swatted her away. Kalley looked like she wanted to slap him. A repeated experience like that wasn't necessary.

_Sorry, boss. But we're certain she's here. _

"Where?"

_San Francisco. There's a cave. _

Allen froze. The same cave . . .?

_No boss. It's different. But still. Same general area. But boss, you have to hurry. Everything we get closer to the target, there wasn't even a struggle. No movement at all. And Conan agreed. _

_It was almost like she was dead, _Conan growled.

"S-she's not," Allen said, his voice shaky.

_No she isn't, _Conan snarled.

_But you don't have much time, _Gus said. _There's something dark in there. _

"Okay," Allen said, taking a deep breath. Kalley was making faces at him. "Okay. Gus, sneak inside and look for her. Conan, you have to stay out there and guard, keep watch, and keep us updated. Gus, you too, okay?"

_Roger that, boss._

_Okay, _Conan snarled.

They tuned out as soon as Allen looked at Kalley.

"Tell me," Kalley said.

"They found her." Allen said. "And we need a ride there."

Kalley didn't seem to pay attention to Allen, despite how annoyed she looked. She looked at something behind Allen, looking both astonished and dazed at the same time.

"Allen," She whispered. "I think we _do_ have a ride."

Allen slowly turned around, and let out a small gasp of amazement.

"Athena's right," Allen said. "We actually_ will need _that saddle."

The Pegasus in front of them . . . was that really the _real _Pegasus? _The_ Pegasus? It looked so beautiful. It's white coat gleamed in spite of the dark and the pollution from above them. It trotted so silently on the ground, Allen was almost glad the Kalley was there to catch sight of it. He walked slowly toward it. He felt Kalley's hand brush his own. He looked back, and saw that rare look of caution. Allen walked away from her, giving her a reassuring look. Allen wouldn't be able to communicate well with the creature, but he knew Athena had given them her blessing.

He walked slowly, but confidently to the winged horse, who was quietly taking a drink from the water. The Pegasus lifted his head toward Allen, and to his amazement, he trotted toward Allen. Here was a winged horsey walking toward some soaking wet boy. Yeah, that was exactly what it looked like.

Allen stroked the flowing mane of the horse, and it never resisted when he fastened on the saddle. The Pegasus glowed with a sort of aura Allen couldn't really place. In a few moments, Kalley was already by his side, the pack - that was already transformed into a pebble - in her hands.

"Can you actually fly him?" Kalley asked nervously. Allen got onto the horse's back.

"We'll see. By the way, did you know this is the biological twin of the piggy we met today?"

"Lovely," Kalley muttered as she got up to sit behind him. He couldn't help but blush as she put her arms around his waist. He could feel her cheek starting to rest on his back. Was she getting tired? "Um . . . Allen? We're not moving yet."

"Er . . . What? Oh sorry." Allen said. Even Kalley could visibly see the knuckles on his hands turn white. He pulled on the reigns. Quickly, the Pegasus rose into the air.

"Hey, Allen?" Kalley said, yawning. He could feel her face resting on the back of his shoulder. "I'm just going to rest okay?"

"Definitely," Allen said. "You've had a long day, today."

"Thanks," Kalley said. Allen was glad Kalley could see his face burning.

"Uh huh," Allen managed. They were already about a two hundred feet in the air. This horse could fly _fast._ Allen looked onward as he tried to stay awake for the journey.

_Gus, we're on the move._


	19. Chapter 19: The Wonder of Deduction

**I just realized that Ray Stone and Walt from that Egyptian series Rick Riordan had both have the same last name :3 **

**oops :)**

**Ya, I'm also the only one allowed to call Raymond _Ray_ :)  
**

**Please review :) **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 19: The Wonder of Deduction

* * *

Chiron's hooves plodded on the floor repeatedly as he paced around the room. Was it really fit to call it pacing? Not even the centaur knows. But what he does know was that Allen and Elli have not even contacted them a single bit. What had happen? He looked around the room that he was in in the Big House. He'd been here for hundreds of years. He was glad he was not forgotten. Outside, the sun was shining happily as he spotted six boys (probably children of Apollo) competing in a game of basketball.

The weather was always nice, considering the mysterious and powerful magic that was being contained in Camp Half-Blood's boundaries. He felt his tail swish anxiously from side to side. Poor tail.

The last person who had contacted him was Elli. Elli was perfectly fine. She felt great, after a swim in the lake, she'd said.

"_We're only in Kansas," she said. "We should be back in about two days if you wanna count the monster attacks." All this she said with a grin on her face; it was so common for these kinds of things to happen that she'd already treated it like it was a joke. _

"_You have to promise to be careful," Chiron warned. "And don't do anything foolish." _

"_Yes sir!" She said, suddenly standing up straighter and saluting to him in a child like fashion. Then she put her hand down and laughed. "Don't worry, Chiron! You know, Kalley is doing fine. She doesn't seem dangerous at all." _

_At that moment, Chiron had looked down. Should he tell her about his meeting at Mount Olympus? Would it be worth a shot to give her the information so Elli could at least warn Allen? Perhaps they shouldn't even come to Camp Half-Blood at all. Once the heir reaches this place, the gods would know, Hermes would come, and the heir would die. That was just not right, to Chiron. Even Elli had said she wasn't bad at all. Everyone deserves a chance at life. _

"_Elli-" Chiron began. _

"_Uh, hey!" Elli said. The mist was flickering. "I gotta go! Allen seems to be in trouble with something. See ya Chiron!" _

_The shimmering droplets of water disappeared. _

Chiron remembered the green eyes, and the jet-black hair. It really reminded him so much of Percy Jackson. But this girl was more powerful. More dangerous. That was just a little unnerving. She was young too. Chiron really hoped Elli was okay.

With Shem on another quest a couple days ago, and the two of them off to retrieve the heir, There were only a handful of people now that could fight in such a war. Sure, the others had potential, but not many of them were quite ready yet. It just wasn't time. Chiron sighed.

All of a sudden, a shimmering mist appeared outside the window where the sprinklers had turned on. Chiron stared at it, saw that the iridescent colors of the rainbow were shining more prominently. Could it be Allen?

"Shem," Chiron said. It was quite relieving actually, to see that someone had at least bothered to contact, but Chiron was still disappointed that it wasn't Elli or Allen.

"Chiron," Shem returned. His hair was all disheveled. It was unlike him to have his cap off.

"Any news?" Chiron asked. Surprisingly, there was a girl next to him. Brown, long, wavy hair. Her skin was pearly white, and the blue eyes gleamed back at him with mischief. She looked like she was a year younger than Shem, but almost just as tall. Like Shem, her clothes were also a little torn and ragged.

"No. But-"

"Shem, who is this," Chiron said, trying to keep his composure. This journey was for Shem and for Shem alone. If another interference occurred, things might get a little messy.

"She's . . . a friend of mine." Shem said, slowly, as if trying to place the words. The girl had gone off to who knows where, but Chiron didn't mind.

"Demigod?" Chiron asked. Shem nodded.

"My conclusion is that she's a child of Hermes. Goes by the name _Ira,_" Shem said her name with a little emphasis, as though to get it right. The girl looked up, and then nodded. The _i_ part of her name was pronounced with an _e_ sound. "But she's rendered herself beneficial, Chiron. She's unlike the other children, comparable to a dissonant chord on the strings of a violin. The only difference that could be made is that that particular chord produced a more interesting than ugly-"

"Shem."

"A tad brighter than the rest."

"So what's up?" Chiron asked, trying to sound casual. It really wouldn't work, because Shem's vocabulary was a little . . . formal, at times. It was just like in the books. Shem had read all of them, for sure, but he never really copied _his _traits after reading them. He was like that even before . . . Oh the wonders of deduction.

"There is no need for deduction at this point, Chiron," Shem said, smiling. Immediately after, however, his smile melted off his face. "I haven't contacted to inform you about ourselves. There is something . . . Ah, that I believe you must perceive with your own eyes."

He stepped back, so Chiron could pay attention to the scene around Shem. The two of them were located somewhere in a dam. The night sky was getting dimmer and dimmer every second that passed by. The thing that caught his eye, however, was the blaring lights of police cars on the bridge above them. Next to them, there was a vehicle that could retrieve heavy things from the water below, and hanging from the vehicle was a dented - possibly totaled out - car. Chiron looked at Shem, and now that Shem had stepped back, Chiron saw the gleaming silver arrow that lay in his hands.

Allen.

"Tell me what happened," Chiron said, closing his eyes. He knew only Shem alone would be able to retell events in which he hadn't been through. It was just natural to him to see them. Deduction gave him that power.

"I haven't been able to gather a wide variety of information. The cops are there, so I'm afraid I'm not permitted to investigate everything single detail. The laws of deduction told me that," Shem began. "They'd been recently attacked by a Chrysaor boar. The car, they'd stolen using a trick of the mist but apparently it must've failed. Miraculously, the car hasn't been damaged _that _badly. They were on the road for about 15 minutes. They'd been pushed off the bridge. The two of them survived, and are headed west, to San Francisco."

Chiron sighed again, but this time it was in wonder. He said it had barely any details, yet he'd given Chiron a full account of the scene. "Can you . . . Explain?"

Shem's gray eyes sparkled with intensity. He always had that look when it comes to a situation like this. Usually they would remain dark, and silent, but when he came to a conclusion after a moment of concentration, those eyes gleamed with brightness.

"The Chrysaor boar," Shem said. "Obvious due to the dented hoof mark on the center of the roof. Allen, of course was there, as you can see. Trick of the mist, Allen again. However, it must've failed due to the other passenger in the car. Hum, She was swerving quite angrily due to the marks on the tires. That car should've been destructed in only 5 minutes, considering they were on the freeway, traveling at 90 miles an hour due to the friction the tires have created. Hum, Hum! Ah, I see. That's how it was, eh? Pushed off the bridge, due to the huge dent on the side of the car. Allen must've been on the roof of the car. Hum hum!-"

Shem's explanation was interrupted by Chiron's laugh. He couldn't help at Shem's brightness. It was almost an exact copy of the famous Sherlock Holmes himself. He looked back at the mist.

"Please, do continue," Chiron said, smiling. Allen just clinging onto dear life on the roof - Chiron could at least envision that much. The boy was crazy, after all.

"It was raining," Shem said, "Due to Allen's first hit of the arrow. The arrow hit the target, but not where he'd probably wanted it to, right on the belly, judging from where the pig had flown and how the arrows had scattered after the pig had burst into golden dust. The dents on the car, Allen must've created it by himself as well, due to the slippery hold of the car. The two were able to escape, however. Both very much alive. The girl, suffering a slight throb on the head. However, that is not the most interesting of events."

"You mean," Chiron said in awe. "You mean you've found more information?" Shem nodded. "Tell me, Holmes."

"They've found a new form of transportation." Shem said. "Faded, light hoof marks on the mud. A horse's hoof prints."

"Pegasus," Chiron said.

"Not just _a _Pegasus."

Chiron froze. He stared at Shem in the eyes.

"_The Pegasus?"_ Shem nodded, the beginnings of a smile playing at his lips. Chiron laughed. Allen had the honor to actually ride _the_ one Pegasus, did he now?

"An interesting find, but this time I'm producing my judgments on predictions."

"How do you know this?"

"Light hoof prints. Too light to be a regular Pegasus. They are near a river. Judging from the marks in the mud, there was a saddle on the ground. And you know perfectly well that-"

"Allen wasn't carrying a saddle in the pack." Chiron finished. Shem nodded. It was a golden saddle. The one given to by Athena herself. And that meant . . . Athena had chosen a side. There would be no way that Athena would've given the saddle to Elli, due to her heritage. But just the mere fact of a goddess helping the two of them would only say that Athena had chosen the side of the heir. It was a surprise, but a pleasant one.

Poseidon and Apollo were already on, too. And now Athena. Hephaestus was on the brink of deciding, but leaning towards the more optimistic side. Hera was nowhere near close. So the count now was at least 4 to 7. Hermes, was obviously neutral.

Yay.

"The two of them are headed to San Francisco, again another prediction." Shem said. Chiron felt his fists clench slowly. . .

The two of them.

"Who was the other girl?" Chiron said, his heart sinking. He already knew who it was.

"You probably already know," Shem admitted. So Chiron was right.

"Where's Elli?"

"There was no use of water during the attack. And even if she was unconscious during the car ride, the depression in the mud made by the two was considerably bigger than Elli's own body."

"S-She . . . She was taken?" Chiron said, stammering as he felt his blood turn to ice.

"Judging from the direction the hooves were running at," Shem said, continuing with a stable voice. "They were heading west. Allen would not come back with her."

"And the only city that Elli could've been to if she was taken unwilling to would be . ." Chiron trailed off. Shem had a prediction. It could've been any city. Maybe she was captured by someone _else._ It could just be anything.

But Elli was gone.

"It _is_ only a prediction." Holmes agreed.

"You have to go to them as soon as you finish your mission, Shem," Chiron said, trying to keep his voice at a level.

"I already know this. We are the precise location I need to be at. Only for a few more miles."

Chiron nodded, sighing. Things really _were_ starting to get messy. Elli was gone. He looked at Shem sadly.

"They will be okay," It was more like Chiron was trying to reassure _himself_ more that he was to Shem.

"Of course they will," Shem said. "We must leave, Chiron. Some urgent business to bring to an end." Chiron nodded.

Shem waved his hand through the mist, and the image of him disappeared. Chiron felt the despair running through his blood. Will they be safe? What will Chiron tell Stone now that he'd finally gotten the latest update from one of his best friends?

They can't just wait and see, can they? Or was there no choice?

It was just too uncertain.


	20. Chapter 20: The Accused

**Hi guys :) I'm back! Testings over, and it was easy :D but we have more testing at the end of the year :| and more orchestra auditions! fun, rite? :P We're almost at the end, you guys :O but this is really . . . only the beginning :) **

**please review :) only had one review :( nice to hear from you again concrete angel :D **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 20: The Accused

* * *

"Why?"

It was starting to become a popular word in the quest. She scanned the surroundings, knowing that this was not the same cave as _last _time. It just wasn't the right one. Intuition?

"Why it's time that you die, you mean?" Melanie said, sounding expectant. Elli couldn't still accept the fact that it was she. The color of her flesh was different, a silvery white. It was a little unnerving.

"Eris killed you." For some reason, Elli found it tiring. She leaned her back against the wall. She was tired. Tired of being afraid. She'd been so scared two years ago. Helpless.

Not now.

**[xxx]**

"Here," Allen said. Kalley nodded. She'd woken up in the middle of the flight. The two of them dismounted from the Pegasus. Kalley saw Allen looked up at it. Kalley wished Elli were here right now. She could maybe communicate with Pegasus. She saw Allen reached up to stroke its mane.

"Thank you." The horse seemed to understand. It didn't resist when Allen continued to stroke it. Maybe it'd started to grow a liking for Allen. He'd tried his best to gently maneuver the horse to where he wanted him to go, and he'd told Kalley that he was one of the best flyers back at camp.

Bragging, if you really ask _me_.

Yes, I can comment.

Its gleaming white coat was as soft as velvet underneath his touch. Allen hesitated before asking him one last request. Kalley knew what Allen was going to say. It was just too demanding. "You . . . You will stay?"

Allen waited. If only Elli were here. The Pegasus only neighed, but before Allen could even decipher what it meant, the winged horse took off, leaving a gust of wind behind. Gone.

"Well that was very self-explanatory." Kalley snorted as she walked toward the cave. Allen quickly followed her, probably wondering how Kalley could march to such an eerie cave.

Well yeah, it really _was_ scary. You can't mistaken that. The jagged cliffs almost looked impossible to climb, except for a thin, well-camouflaged trail that Allen quickly detected. He was being navigated by the wolf, anyway. Again, very annoying. The sky was starting to get darker and darker. There weren't any more campers or hikers about, now that it was almost _too_ dark. It would be crazy for people to do this unless they know the right way.

After several minutes of tedious climbing, the two of them had finally reached the entrance. Kalley's breathing was slightly heavy, but she didn't feel so tired. Just as Allen had said, Conan was outside, waiting at the entrance. Kalley almost wanted to talk to it and start howling or something. Maybe a vampire will come out.

Allen walked toward him.

"Is . . . she . . .?" Allen began. Kalley wanted to strangle him. Obviously, Allen would know what _he _was thinking. And now _Conan_ too would know. Telepathy sucked.

Conan gave a slight nod. Allen looked like his shoulders seemed to relax.

"Well?" Kalley asked as she walked up to him. Allen looked at her.

"She's okay, and Gus is there. I can hear him rushing toward her."

"Then off we go?"

"Off we go."

**[xxx]**

The girl in front of her laughed. She looked like she'd aged a little as well. By now, she'd be the same age as Kalley. Melanie had grown. The features in her face were more prominent, and her hair was longer. Yet it was like Elli was looking at a completely different person. She just wasn't the same.

"Eris _saved _me." Melanie said. She twirled in the air; it was a little disturbing to see that Elli's friend was transparent. Elli looked at her in confusion. She tried to stand, but immediately stifled back a groan. Her chest was throbbing. Elli sank back onto the wall, knowing that the pain of the blow she'd gotten earlier would keep her a while. She was starting to get thirsty.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Elli said. She could feel the cold sweat running down her forehead. Surely, she was freezing, but that didn't mean she wasn't nervous. The cave's temperature was a biting, bitter coldness. Elli shivered. "You're dead."

"Wrong, Elli." Melanie said. The sound of her name made Elli shudder. Her voice hadn't been heard of in two long years. "You're memory sure is starting to get worse and worse."

"No," Elli began. "She threw the knife at me, and . . . a-and you took it." How could she not forget something so horrible?

Melanie stared back at her. Elli could see one emotion emitted so strongly from her eyes. Hatred.

"What?" Melanie hissed. She'd appeared right in front of Elli's face, but Elli didn't even flinch. "You _dare_ insult the doings of my lady? You _killed _me!"

Before Elli could say anything, something had flashed into her mind. No . . .

_Horkos was lifted into the air, a blinding flash. It glinted dangerously despite the suffocating darkness that they were in. Melanie felt the pain spread toward her as she looked up in shock. _

_It was impossible. H-her own friend . . . _

_Elli glared at her with a smile on her face as she ripped out the bloody knife. Melanie collapsed onto the ground. Could she hear Mike yelling? Her vision was fading . . . _

_She saw the sea green eyes lighting up before her. How could something happen like this? _

"Melanie-"

_Her friend in front of her laughed, saying something inaudible. _

"Melanie!" Elli said, gritting her teeth. What was this? The memory looked so vivid in her mind. But it was all wrong. All wrong. "She did this to you! She _implanted _those thoughts into your mind!"

Elli tried to stand, and this time, thankfully she grasped the wall for support. Only now did Elli realize that the daimones were right behind Melanie. Was it why this place had always been so sad?

"We can kill her now, you know," Lupa whispered.

"Yes, it won't take a while. Since the goddess is on a quick errand, she will be even more delighted when she finds that she's already dead." Ania agreed. Melanie hissed again as she whipped around to face them.

"No! Let Eris continue with the boy. This is only between me and _her_. Leave!" The daimones disappeared. What was Melanie talking about? Was the wicked goddess plotting multiple threats elsewhere? Elli was breathing heavily now as she clutched her chest. Her vision was still blurry, and the throbbing was unbearable. How could that boy give out so much power?

_Yes, he was a powerful one,_ Melanie thought. For the first time, Elli had never heard her friend so sad. _Knox. _

"The link is still there?" Elli said, her voice too weak to express the disbelief. Her eyes narrowed. "Then you _are_ still alive."

"No," Melanie admitted. "Merely a living, solid memory. But she gave me a chance. She _knew _how it felt to be left behind. She _understood_ the hunger I'm feeling right now."

"You _shouldn't _feel any, Melanie," Elli yelled. "I _didn't _do anything!"

"She's given me a chance to kill you."

"You didn't-"

"I didn't understand it at first," Melanie continued. "But I've had a lot of time to think about it. Time has been very generous to me you know-"

"Time has weakened you!" Ellie answered back, her voice growing weaker and weaker. She sank back against the wall.

A flash of white.

Elli's eyes darted for a moment to the right, but still flicked them back to Melanie. What if she noticed? Gus peered back at her behind a rock, his eyes glowing . . . with triumph? Elli wanted to call out to it, but as soon as it'd appeared, it'd gone. The patch of white had disappeared behind the motley of brown colored dirt and rocks. Maybe she was just dreaming. Only Allen could've been able to communicate with that mouse. Elli wouldn't be able to tell what a mouse was feeling. Elli looked back at Melanie.

"You don't understand at all!" Melanie said, seeming not to notice the distraction. Her eyes were flaring up in anger. Elli almost backed away from the scary, spectral sight. "You had no feelings back then, and you have no feelings now! I thought you were my friend!"

Elli struggled to stand again. This was too much. Melanie was one hundred percent wrong, and she was sure of it.

"No."

"Eris has taught me so many things," Melanie said. "Things that even _you _can't do. Things that can _kill _you."

"Melanie!" Elli yelled. "You've been lied to!"

At that moment, it seemed like the spirit in front of Elli had lost her patience. Elli could only recognize through her blurry vision that the spirit was darting toward her, about to attack. Elli held up her hands in her defense. It was her only defense, really.

_The empathy link could be the last connection. _

Elli stumbled backward before Melanie could even touch her, but felt a searing pain in her mind.

_It was a few minutes after practice._

_"Wah!" Elli squealed as she felt a sudden and startling jerk on her shoulders. Someone had jumped from behind her, causing Elli to stagger sideways and almost ram into a tree nymph that stood nearby. "What are you doing here up so early, Melanie?" Elli asked as she couldn't help but let a bewildered grin escape from her lips. It was good to be back from all that intense training. Even though only a few people had repeatedly treated Elli as though she were some different demigod (which she was, apparently,), there were at least a few who saw through all that and took Elli in for who she really was. Melanie was one of them._

* * *

_The day before the quest began. _

"_Two minutes! Everyone take your places!" Ken yelled out as everyone rushed out the door. He looked over at the two girls who stood next to him. "Come on, this is a one in a lifetime chance," Ken said as he pushed Elli out the door, with Melanie trailing both of them._

"_Hey Melanie, let's join the fun! When did you ever become so grumpy?" Elli asked as she finished her second cookie. Melanie shook her head, and soon a grin flitted onto her face._

"_Fine. But this better be good."_

* * *

_The bonfire. _

_Raymond was already busy talking animatedly to Mike, not minding Melanie's concern for Elli._

_Probably something about building magical contraptions . . . Elli thought._

_Melanie nodded, noticing Elli's gaze. "Yeah, something along those lines."_

_Elli grinned. "I keep underestimating you, Melanie."_

"_Note to self," Melanie added, laughing back. "Don't try."_

* * *

_The beginning._

"_You better prove yourself, Daughter of Hecate." Hermes whispered. A loud wind rushed around them, making Elli blink._

_The second she opened her eyes, he was gone._

_Elli's concern was already switched back to her best friend. But she was surprised at what she saw. Melanie's hazel brown eyes showed a new gleam of determination. Elli must have been imagining it, but were her lips starting to form a little smile? Elli could only grin back. This was the Melanie she knew. Her friend was back._

_Even Ray had told her about his conversation with his friend. _

"_Do you think Melanie stole the apple?" Ray asked . . . It didn't sound like a question. It sounded like a pretty demanding statement to him._

"_From what we have to dedu-"_

"_Shem," Ray said, looking at him in the eye, "No facts. You heard me."_

"_No." Holmes replied. He moved his rook forward. Ray had almost forgotten that they were still playing chess._

* * *

_Could she not remember?_

_Melanie looked over, and saw that Elli had her eyes on a huge koala pillow pet just a few feet away in an arcade section. Elli's eyes seemed almost as bright as the stars, staring at Melanie with a pleading look. Melanie almost laughed out loud._

_Elli frowned, tugging on Melanie's sleeve. "It's not funny," Elli muttered, her frown deepening as she looked at Melanie. Was she actually serious about this? "I want that pillow pet."_

"_Okay okay," Melanie said, holding up her hands in a sign of surrender. "You have some money, right? You go there. I'm going to check out the Ferris Wheel over there. It's so high!" Elli's frown seemed to melt away so quickly that Melanie couldn't believe that it had been there in the first place. Smiling happily, Elli bounced over to the game where the huge koala awaited her._

* * *

_And of course, the only meaning of their friendship. _

"_With this knife, I can even take down the biggest hellhound," Melanie had boasted. Mike laughed, but Elli believed every word she said._

"_So you chose this knife?" Elli asked._

"_Not really," Melanie said, fingering the blade as though it was a trophy that had to be obtained after going through a number of hardships. Maybe it was. "Chiron allowed me to choose one out of two. The other one was called Enyo."_

"_Why didn't you pick Enyo?" Elli asked. To her, Enyo sounded like a much nicer name._

"_Because Enyo was the goddess of war, the sister of Ares," Melanie said. "She's also known as Eris. But I don't want a knife full of war and chaos. It's really only for defense, Elli."_

_Elli immediately understood. Chiron must've smiled at Melanie for being so wise. Enyo could only lead to more bloodshed than it was really built for._

"_Why's it called Horkos, Mel?" Elli asked._

"_It means promise," Melanie said, her hazel eyes shining at Elli._

"_But, there isn't a promise," Elli said, her brow furrowing._

"_Then I'll make one," Melanie said, the smile still on her face. "It's a promise of friendship. Just you and me. We'll always watch each others' backs. No matter what. Deal?"_

"_Yes!"_

* * *

_She'd taken the knife. Elli'd seen the goddess disappear, with a wicked smile still lingering on her face. _

_Do you remember the promise?_

Elli opened her eyes, gasping for breath. They were all images flashing by her mind, as though cramming every bit of information and emotion into one movie. It was a little overwhelming. Elli found herself hugging her stomach. It was even a little nauseating. She looked up at Melanie, still breathing heavily.

Melanie wasn't moving. For a moment, it seemed as though she'd been stoned by Medusa herself, but Elli could tell that her friend was still here. She must've felt it too. The memories had reached her as well.

Melanie's eyes widened, then suddenly filled with tears. She looked at Elli.

"Oh, Elli; I was wrong. I was _wrong_ this whole time." Elli didn't know what to say. Melanie turned away from the entrance of the cave they were in. Elli just realized that it was the only way out, and Elli was only around seven feet away from it. "Please, Elli. Just make this end." Her voice sounded broken.

"I-I don't think I'd w-want to do that, Mel," Elli said. _Just make this end._ There was only one way to make something like this end. One, or both, would have to die. "You can't leave this time, Mel."

"Get away from her!" A voice yelled. Elli turned her head. Allen stood at the entrance of the cave, drawing his bow straight at Melanie.

"No! Don't, Allen!" Elli cried out. She tried to stand, but winced in pain. Slowly, she stood shakily to her feet. Melanie stood there facing Allen now, unmoving. To Elli's horror, the same cold expression was starting to appear on her friend's face.

"Melanie, please," Elli begged. Elli stood in front of her, staring straight at Allen as she struggled to stand upright. Kalley had just arrived by his side, her golden-brown eyes gleaming with determination. Allen hesitated, and then dropped his bow down to his side. Elli sighed in relief as Allen and Kalley slowly approached toward them.

"Elli, who is this," Allen said calmly, his voice low as his eyes darted to Melanie. It wasn't a question. "She was just going to hurt you."

"No, Allen," Elli said, her legs shaking again from weakness. She can't have her knees give way now.

"She's-"

"Elli felt a hand on her shoulder. Soon, Elli felt the feeling come back to her legs. Looking up, she saw Kalley looking back at her. Was it her own powers that made Elli stronger, or was it because she'd gained a friend?

"She's a friend of yours, right?" Kalley asked. Allen's eyes widened, looking at Elli. Elli nodded. Elli knew that Kalley was unaware who the girl really is, but at least Kalley understood the situation. Allen looked at Melanie again, and Elli could almost see a hint of a shudder. But the determination was reflected once again into his eyes.

"Then we'd better hurry," Allen said. "She might come soon and realize we're here."

"_So I've finally noticed." _The air had gotten colder.

Elli looked up, and saw an arrow shot past her. Although it was quick and miraculously precise, the goddess was already too fast, easily causing her palm to intercept the arrow, dissolving it into a silver mist. Eris let out a high-pitched laugh.

"The empathy link is more prominent than, before, then!" The goddess said. "You know what that means?" The goddess laughed again. Elli noticed Allen wince as the shrill laughter filled the damp cave. "It's a pity that another demigod perished on my way here," Eris said, not sounding pitiful at all. "He would've been useful. It was a beautiful plan."

Elli didn't know what Eris was talking about, she maybe it had something to do with the boy that had been discussed earlier. Was he from Camp Half-Blood?

"Allen, don't shoot," Kalley said softly as she saw Allen nock another arrow.

"I'm not stupid enough to do that," Allen said. "A sign of offense will lead to another."

"Well, another thing you learn with the help of an _Allen-proverb,_" Kalley said, sounding immediately bored.

"Oh, the Master would be so pleased. The child really _has _come," Eris said, sounding genuinely happy.

Allen stepped forward. "If you want Elli, you have to go by us, Eris."

The goddess laughed even harder. The laughter resonated throughout the cave.

"It looks like the Master has predicted wrongly! The child's companion isn't as bright as he thinks!" The goddess choked out as she wiped the tears out of her eyes, gathering her composure. The goddess wore a red dress that was torn near the bottom. It looked like a dress that had undergone decades and millennia of war. The pale skin on the goddess made her dark, bloodshot red eyes pop out even more. Her lips were also the color of blood red, and Kalley saw her long, straight, jet-black hair blow with the wind. Her appearance was really quite disturbing, if you ask me.

"No, I think he's right," Kalley continued, stepping out. "And you're right too. I _have_ come."

Eris sneered, her long, jet black hair splaying out in different directions as her vermillion red eyes faced Kalley's golden brown ones. Kalley's stance didn't even waver.

"Already gone through your long journey, child? You _dare_ believe that you've become so wise after that little trip? That was only a mere beginning!" The goddess, being the sister of Ares, immediately produced a dagger out of thin air. A second later, the weapon was already whistling its way toward Allen's chest. Allen could've deflected the dagger easily with the tip of his bow, but Kalley was faster. Before any of them could even react, Kalley was already standing in front of him, the knife frozen in mid-air. Elli blinked twice. The knife was floating? She glanced at Eris, almost pleased to see that the smile on the goddess had melted off her face.

"H-how-" Elli stammered. She was a little surprised herself.

"Practice," Kalley said quietly. It was almost intimidating to look back at her; the aura that surrounded Kalley was almost . . . murderous.

"Kalley . . ." Allen said, his eyes full of concern as he reached for her arm. Did he sense it too?

Kalley pulled away. "Just get them out. They are more vulnerable than I am."

Elli saw Allen's jaw clenched tightly. She exactly how he felt. Here was the friend they'd found on the streets, who was an inch from death when they first discovered her. The one who'd attracted so many monsters in only a few days. It was her turn to show her strength, like she'd done unconsciously so many times. But did Allen really understand how Elli felt? The realization hit her harder than it did to him. It reminded her of last time . . .

_The dagger was glistening with blood. _

_The last breathe being emitted into the cold air. _

Melanie looked at Elli. Did she see the same vision? Elli shook her head as she unclasped her necklace. _Parodikós _elongated into a sword of flashing green. Its blade glowed brightly. She gripped the leather hilt tightly. She would not make the same mistake again.

"Elli-"Melanie said.

"No," Elli interrupted, standing by Kalley. "I have to do this, Melanie."

"I know," Melanie said, nodding. Elli looked at her friend, a look of surprise replacing the anxious expression on her face. Eris laughed.

"Oh, friendship! You know it will only end up to be a double-edged sword, right?" Eris glided nearer as Allen raised his bow. "Empathy links nowadays are foolish. Kill one, they both die." Eris smiled, and looked at Melanie. "You'll never be able to live normally again."

A knife shot toward Eris. Kalley seemed to be getting impatient. Eris didn't dodge this blow quite as easily as the first, though. The knife was fast. "Oh, so you're starting to get a little feisty now, are you?" She said nastily as more knives appeared from behind her. However, there was a slight quiver in her voice.

Elli almost wanted to rush over to help, but she a new wave of nausea hit her. She'd been standing for too long. Elli was about to fall, but Allen quickly caught her. Her head felt light. Sweat was starting to bead on her forehead.

"Allen," Elli said, struggling against his grip on her arm. "We have to try-"

"No!" Allen said fiercely. "We need to leave-"

A loud roar reverberated through the air. Allen quickly whipped around as Elli looked up. Kalley was back up as a roar filled the entrance and a shadow entered the cave. Eris smiled as her presence faded. Elli felt her jaw drop at the creature in front of them. How was this possible?

"No!" Kalley cried out at Eris' disappearing figure. Before Kalley could even move, however, Eris was gone. Elli cursed. It was just like last time! They looked up, and then almost quailed under the monster's ferocity. After all, not a lot of people have ever faced a Nemean Lion before.


	21. Chapter 21: Last Meeting

**Hi guys :O I don't really have anything to say :) But we're almost done :O kinda :3**

**chilexgirl: Thanks so much for the review! It's really motivating :) **

**Please review! **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 21: Last Meeting

* * *

Elli looked at Kalley, and a look of surprise appeared on her face when she saw Kalley bravely step forward. A few days ago, Kalley would've just hid behind anything or run away just to survive. The cave was dead silent, except for the monster's formidable growling. It prowled silently toward them.

"A-aren't you a little scared?" Elli squeaked. She tried to get up once again, this time only resulting in leaning on Allen's arm. On Allen's other shoulder, Gus was there peering back at her, looking a little cheeky. So she hadn't been dreaming after all.

"A little," Kalley said, laughing nervously. "But we kinda have to get out of here."

Allen had taken up his silver gleaming bow, pulling back the arrow slowly.

"So the drawing on the napkin helped, after all," Allen said. Kalley nodded.

"Are you guys okay?" Elli asked, sounding more and more confused. "If I recall correctly, I think it was just me that got hurt today. You didn't hit your head earlier by chance, did you?"

Allen withdrew his bow and gave her an ambrosia square. Elli swallowed it willingly; her mouth was filled with the taste of cotton candy as she felt her cheeks return to its normal color. Candy tasted so good right now.

"You're still weak." Allen said, seeing that Elli had raised her sword a little higher. Elli ignored him.

"If I do anything stupid, Melanie can keep me in line." It was great to have her back again. Even though her friend was now a floating, older, and silvery ghost.

"Elli," Melanie said. Her voice was still the same, at least. "I don't think it would be good for you."

Elli held her sword tighter. It was just so unfair. Now her friend was telling her to run away, when she'd agreed that Elli could help earlier. _No_.

_You can't even run forward, let alone stand. _Melanie thought.

_I don't care._ Elli retorted. _If _she_ dies, we lose more than one thing in this room. _

_Won't that just make things easier?_

Elli froze, then turned to face Melanie. That wasn't possible. Why would that even happen? Now that Elli did think about it, what _were_ the gods going to do when Kalley was brought to camp. Did . . . Did they want her dead?

_I owe her a debt, Melanie._ Elli thought. It was all that she could manage. _She's taught me something very important._

The Lion attacked.

**[xxx]**

Yup, Kalley was a little scared.

No. Scratch that.

She was terrified.

Kalley squeezed the knife in her right hand. Elli had an insane glowing sword. Allen had a bow along with skill and talent. The spirit girl probably had a few tricks up her own sleeve.

Kalley had the stubby dagger of doom.

"Allen," Kalley breathed. "If this blade isn't sharp enough, then we know who to blame." Allen could only glare at her.

Imagine a pickup truck. Now pretend that it had incredible speed and impeccable agility. Now put a face of a lion, and tail on its rear, and _voila_, a Nemean Lion is at your service.

Oh, do please take out the wheels and the engine in your imagination. Nemean Lions don't have that.

Kalley remembered all the stories. She saw all the pictures in the myth picture books Dory had shown her. She saw the huge ferocious lion battling with Hercules in what seemed like a never ending battle. But the illustrator of those picture books probably toned down the image as to not petrify the other children.

The Lion's claws gleamed silver in the darkness. Its fangs flashed like stainless steel. The Lion roared, its mighty head throwing up in the air, and flashed toward Kalley. On impulse, Kalley looked at the other side of the room. If only . . .

Kalley felt the ripples in the air as though a heat wave were searing through the atmosphere. She looked around. Allen had two arrows locked into his bow, and Elli was holding her sword high in the air. All frozen. The Nemean Lion, like the others, was frozen as well. Kalley wanted to walk around and look at this spectacle, but in a few moments, she felt the ground under her disappear. Soon, she felt her head spinning nauseatingly. Her vision dimmed. But as soon as her feet hit the ground hard, she saw that she _was_ on the other side of the room. The Fuzzy creature was still trampling toward Allen, who'd been behind Kalley.

Allen almost panicked, but let the two arrows loose before rolling to the side. Considering that Allen had seen his friend disappear into thin air, Kalley could probably tell that his aim had been screwed up due to that one small fact. Nevertheless, the two arrows show straight toward the middle of its eyes. Kalley knew it was going to be a direct hit.

And the arrows shattered.

Kalley looked at the fallen arrows in disbelief. Okay. So they don't show those in the children books. Were they like rated G only? She threw her own knife, causing it to speed up toward its pelt, and even though Kalley knew that weapon could've gone through eleven boulders, the knife exploded into smaller pieces. The Nemean Lion turned around, annoyed that Kalley had just disappeared from sight.

"Allen! I blame you!"

"Y-you teleported, Kalley!" Allen yelled. Another weird series of ripples, and Kalley felt herself standing next to him again.

"Uh huh, maybe next time you should put another monster in front of me, and see what happens!"

The Lion crashed into the end wall of the cave. A few rocks fell from the ceiling.

"By the time we actually kill the hair ball, the place will go down," Elli said. Allen nodded, and looked at Kalley. For once, she didn't bother to argue. They had to run out of here. The Nemean Lion whipped around again, only to see that the four of them dash out to a series of tunnels.

**[xxx]**

_She actually blames me, and decides to teleport so that that furry creature could charge towards me. _Allen thought. Allen _had_ been aiming for its mouth until Kalley rolled out of the way.

He grabbed Elli's hand as they bolted through the tunnels. It hadn't taken them a while to get to the cave Elli was at, but now it seemed like they needed to get out of here as soon as possible. The Lion was tailing them so quickly that if Allen stopped to turn and shoot, then he'd just make a nice snack.

Kalley threw the other knife she had with her at the monster's face, but it only caught its pelt and shattered like the last one.

"Don't you realize that its skin can't be breached?" Allen yelled hysterically.

"It's not a good weapon!"

_Inconsiderate!_ Allen thought in disbelief.

"She's right." Elli gasped, trying to keep up. She was starting to run slower and slower. In the end, one of them would have to stall to give them enough time to get out. Allen silently agreed. The Nemean Lion could only be killed by some of the most powerful weapons in the world, or take a critical hit in the mouth. Why not do both?

"It's nice to see you've changed, Elli." Allen said. "It seems that that's the only thing you remembered in mythology class."

_Conan!_ Allen screamed in his mind. A snarl answered his call.

_Geez, boss. _Gus squeaked, as he jumped from Allen's shoulder and running to lead the way. _I'll just lead. Give the pup a break. _

Another snarl sounded in Allen's mind.

_Watch it, Gus. Get him angry, and no cheese for tonight. _Assuming they made it until tonight.

_I feel threatened!_ Gus yelped. _Blackmailed! Nincompoop! _

_Just lead, man._ Allen sighed. The last part was a little excessive. The narrow tunnels were just hard to navigate through. In a few minutes, Allen found that his arms were starting to get bruised due number of times he had to scratch by the rocks. Kalley was running behind them, with Melanie bringing up the rear.

_Okay, turn left here. Keep going! _

But even this couldn't stop an idea from forming in Allen's mind. It was crazy, but not impossible.

"Kalley!" Allen yelled. "Slow it down!"

_Right turn boss!_

"What exactly do you want to do?" She yelled back. Immediately, Allen could tell that Kalley wasn't going to like this idea. Allen smirked. He could get used to annoying her like this.

"Just do it!" Allen looked back, and, feeling impressed, saw that the Lion was slowing down. Very slightly though. It was almost impossible to tell the difference. Allen could tell Kalley was starting to lose a bit of strength. They were starting to reach the entrance. The light in the front was already a dimming blue. Had the sun gone down already? Now the lion was starting to feel the effect, struggling as it moved forward.

Elli was slowing down too. Allen could see her clutching her stomach.

_Just hang on, Elli_. Allen said. _Stone will kill me if you don't. _

He reached for her other hand, loosening Elli's fingers from _Parodikós. _It could be wrong, but Allen knew it was the only thing that gave him hope. Elli looked at Allen, her eyes widening. Allen smiled. He knew she was still a bright child. He knew she would figure what he would be doing in a few seconds. No wonder Chiron was so firm in letting Elli come along. He _did _need her. She was a great partner, a good asset, and a powerful friend.

Elli let go the sword, placing it into Allen's own hand. He gave her his silver bow, and Elli held onto it tightly. As the reached the entrance, the tunnel was getting wider and taller. Tall enough for a good hit. But the Lion was getting faster and faster. Kalley's power seemed to be ebbing. The Lion was about eight feet away from them. Why not keep it that way?

The moment they reached a half foot away from the opening of the cave, Allen flashed to the right as the other three ran forward. He careened into a rock, using the momentum to run up the wall and grasping hold on the ceiling. It was exhilarating, being able to swing off the ceiling toward the Nemean lion with such speed and momentum. He held the sword out in front of him. It wouldn't have the best technique, but the strength and the speed of the blade was already good enough. He looked into the eyes of the Lion, which was already so close, Allen saw a look of surprise on its face.

_Bet you Hercules didn't think of that,_ Allen thought as the blade impaled through the Lion's mouth.

The roar boomed across the whole cave. Golden dust exploded into the air. It was the last thing Allen heard from the creature as he crashed onto the cold, stone ground. The sword clattered on the other side of the wall as Allen shakily got up. So Allen was right. Elli's sword was probably one of the most powerful weapons ever made. Her dad never _did _tell her its true power. Maybe just the thought of it scared Poseidon himself to make such a weapon. Allen grasped the glowing blade in his hand as he walked out of the cave, along with a brown coat around his shoulders. He'd be keeping this for a while.

"Idiot," He heard Kalley's voice once he exited the cave. Conan was waiting just outside of it. At least there were no trespassers. When Allen had come out, he saw the edge of the cliff they had climbed to get to the cave's entrance.

"It was a brilliant plan," Allen said confidently.

"Whatever," Kalley said. "Help me." It was only then that Allen had realized that Elli had collapsed onto the floor. Elli tried to stand again, but this time, Allen was there to catch her when she fell again. He could hear that her breathing was starting to get shallow. Droplets of sweat were starting to bead her forehead.

"I'm- fine!" Elli said, gritting her teeth as she struggled to get up again. Allen wondered how much pain she really was in. He turned to look up at the spirit. She was Elli's best friend.

"What did you do to her?" Allen asked. He could hear the venom in his voice.

"It wasn't me," Melanie said calmly. "It was the blow Knox had given her _before_ she came here."

_Knox? _Allen thought. Was that the boy who'd taken a strange visit to them when they were at Kansas?

"He hasn't even come to the Camp." A demigod that powerful should've been found by now.

"You're right, he's powerful," Melanie said. "He prefers to live alone."

"Dangerous." Allen said. Melanie nodded.

"He probably knew how to do such a thing years ago. The blow's fatal."

"How can you even say that?" Allen said. He looked back at Elli's limp form. Any more ambrosia, and her body could start to burn up. "You're her best friend!"

"I know," Melanie said. "And there's only one way left." She approached Elli, whose head was being cradled in Kalley's hands. Elli struggled to get up, her sea green eyes widening in fear. It looked like she knew already what was going to happen.

"N-" Elli began.

"Look at me." Melanie said. Her voice broke in the middle.

"_No! You can't do this!" _Allen immediately remembered the time at that fast food restaurant with Kalley. When he drew on the napkin. The things he heard. Now it was happening so clearly in his mind.

"_I want to_," Melanie said.

"Melanie, no!" Elli said.

"If you want this to work, Elli, you have to work with me here," Melanie said, more urgently this time. "Look at me. Do you think you'd want me to be happy like this? Forever? I've had a miserable two years already without my friends, or my family. And when I come back, I'll only look like a traitor. A monster."

"Please," Elli begged, trying to sit up. She was gasping for air now. Allen almost wanted to grab her shoulders and tell her to listen to Melanie. He knew it was the only way too.

"Elli," Melanie said quietly. "I want you to succeed. You were made to protect this daughter of time. Remember the prophecy? It's connected, Elli. I know it now. And I want you to be there to finish it. You have to do it for the both of us."

Elli was crying, but Allen saw that now Elli was looking at Melanie with determination. Elli knew it was the only way too. Her mother had been killed, her friends had died for her, and now her best friend had to go as well. It seemed as though Elli couldn't take any more of this, but she was still holding on. And she was just twelve.

"She's coming." Kalley said, suddenly. Allen cursed in ancient Greek. He knew who it was. And only Kalley would be able to tell. "30 seconds."

"We watch both of each other's back, right Elli?" Melanie said, smiling. Allen only realized how sad and beautiful she looked in her own silvery image. Elli shook her head, but closed her eyes.

**[xxx]**

The familiar sensation was coming back again. It was a sensation Elli knew she'd never forget.

But she wanted to forget it. She didn't want it to come down to this. She closed her eyes.

_Melanie._ Elli said.

_I'm a spirit,_ Melanie pressed on. _I can take away some of the pain. Eris is coming, too. _

_I'm so sorry._ Elli cried out, wanting this to end. _I can't even help you. I never have. _

_But you've always helped me, Elli. _Melanie said gently. _Eris is coming, Elli. I know you're the right person to help this other girl reach peace between the gods. Kronos is coming back. You've been a great friend, Elli._

Elli could feel the voices again, speaking at once. The empathy link could only be destroyed if the two people decided to cooperate. And Elli cooperated. She listened to Melanie's every word. The spell was starting to unravel. In her mind, she felt herself being swallowed by an impossibly bright light. Elli gasped, opening her eyes.

_She's here Elli. _

_You can't do this, Melanie. _Elli knew right away what was going to happen.

_I have to. It's your only chance to get out. She'll be gone for a while. _

_But so will you! _Elli cried out. The link had been broken, and for once Elli wished that hadn't happened. She shouldn't have cooperated at all.

_Elli, just listen to me. I will use what remains of my power to destroy her. I want it to end like this, okay? _Melanie's voice was straining.

_You're my best friend, Mel, _Elli thought. _Always stronger than me._

_We'll always be. _Melanie thought. _And about the second thought, Elli Fugino, you're terribly wrong. Good bye. _

Her only thought was to look at the spirit in front of her, who was starting to wince in pain. The pain in Elli's own chest was starting to subside. But only a little. Her vision was only getting more and more blurry. She couldn't see.

She couldn't see, and something terrible was happening.

**[xxx]**

Kalley couldn't tell what was happening, either. Elli and the girl had begun to close their eyes, when a flash of light caught her eye. Allen whipped around just in time with the bow in his hand to deflect the blinding knife that was about to pierce through his chest. Eris gave a cold-hearted laugh.

"You _do_ know that I will always win, right?" She said, a wicked smile appearing on her face.

"I've had so many people tell me that already, but later on they actually end up being wrong." Allen said calmly. Eris was standing a few feet away from him, hissing in anger. Allen turned his head a little, catching Kalley's eye.

_You know what to do,_ His expression read. Allen had his back turned to Eris the whole time, but Eris was closer to the cliff than they were. On one side of the cliff was a less steep elevation, which Kalley knew quite well since the two of them had climbed it. But on the other side was a lot more deadly. She knew that much too. It was a sheer drop. Two to three hundred feet. Pegasus had given them the easier bargain.

Uh. Kalley didn't know what to do. Did she?

In a second, Allen lifted his bow in such a quick speed, his hands had moved in a blur. The arrow sang toward Eris with deadly accuracy. The goddess dodged it just in time, but only to have it graze her right arm. Golden ichor was flowing steadily from the cut. Eris shrieked in anger, but smiled. Kalley saw the arrow still flying, and then in clicked. She knew what to do. The arrow was still going to fast.

"You really don't learn, do you?" Eris said as she dashed toward Allen. But just as she started to move forward, Kalley saw small waves in the air, like what you see in the distance when it's hot. Kalley saw Eris' smile disappear. Her face was replaced with a shocked expression and a wince of pain as she looked down to see the arrow sticking out of her chest. Allen backed away, breathing a little heavily. Was he a little shocked himself?

"Sorry 'bout that," Allen breathed. Ichor was starting to stain the scarlet red dress Eris was wearing. Kalley could hear that the goddess' breathing was starting to get a little labored, but to her horror, she stepped forward. Before Allen could react, however-

A dash of light.

Kalley couldn't help but allow her eyes to widen that big in disbelief.

"Enough," The girl in the form of a spirit had said just as she had pushed Eris off the cliff. Down went the girl with the goddess. Onto the rocks below. Could the girl survive? It was at least two hundred feet. Eris was gone.

Allen ran toward the edge, his chestnut brown hair blowing in the wind. He looked back at Kalley, and she knew there would be a look of disbelief on his face.

"They're both gone."

"How?" Kalley said. This was a goddess they were talking about. And couldn't the girl just like . . . fly through the rock or something?

"She killed her." Allen said. There was no need to say who was who in this situation. And the girl also took the pain away from Elli's body. At least, most of it. Elli's eyes were open, and she was trying to get up. Kalley could still see that pained look in those green eyes, but at least it was less tense than before.

"S-she," Elli said. It was all she could manage. _She's probably trying hard not to cry aloud, _Kalley thought. _There's still a lot of pain. _

"Rest, Elli," Allen said, walking to her side. "It's been done." Elli was breathing hard, sitting up with Kalley supporting her. She didn't say anything to reply to Allen, but nodded. She almost looked . . . defeated. Almost?

Even Kalley didn't know.

There was a whinny from high up in the air. Kalley looked up, and she saw two Pegasus flying down from the sky. Allen smiled.

"How nice. He was kind enough to bring a friend over."

**[xxx]**

_It was obvious they'd have an injured one with them. _

_Of course, but this one's scent is familiar, boss. It's almost . . . nostalgic. She seems a lot like him. _

Elli stood up, with Allen supporting her shoulder. Her legs were shaking, and she still heard horse voices in her head when she just wanted to be alone.

_Athena had you help us, didn't she? _Elli thought as she looked at the white Pegasus. This, she knew was the real one because of the golden saddle that sat on its back.

_I'm not ordered around by gods, child. I do as I please. _

_Glad to see that you like to cooperate. _Elli thought. The black winged horse hit the ground with his hoof.

'_Sup, Boss? _He thought. _I know we haven't met, but your brother was a great friend of mine._

_Hi, Blackjack. _Elli said plainly. She knew that Percy had a black winged horse called Blackjack, but never knew where he went after Percy had left. The winged horse had also gone somewhere, probably on a small vacation. Only for about 70 years. Maybe a tad long. _How are you?_

_Pretty fine. You boss? _Blackjack returned. Elli sighed.

_I'd rather not talk about it. Sorry Blackjack. _

Allen walked up to Blackjack, and held his hand out to Elli. Elli didn't bother to resist climbing in front of Allen as he sat onto the horse.

"I don't want you to get hurt on the ride back," Allen said. "You can take a rest." Of course. Everyone was thinking she was still weak. Was that even true?

"Fine," Elli muttered as she saw Kalley climb onto the white Pegasus. It looked beautiful. It glowed like a diamond compared to the dim, dull surroundings. Its main shone with brightness and looked as smooth as velvet. Kalley turned around to face Allen.

"I suppose you'll lead?" Kalley said. Allen nodded as Blackjack took off into the sky. Pegasus flew just behind him.

They were finally going home.


	22. Chapter 22: Wait

**Review Please :) I really like all the story alerts I'm getting tho :O **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 22: Wait

* * *

Knox saw the two Pegasi leave the steep mountain as he clambered toward the cave. He saw the little girl sitting on the jet-black horse with the older boy there to guide it. He saw the child riding on the glowing Pegasus as the two horses flew towards their home.

He didn't see Melanie.

Knox had just reached the top of the hill when he saw the two horses flying above his head. It was a steep climb, no doubt, but it was better than appearing at the top. Climbing the cliff wasn't that hard, anyway.

She still wasn't there.

He didn't want to walk into the cave. The cave reminded him of that vision Kronos had shown him. It was as though the nightmare had repeated itself.

She wasn't there to wait for him anymore.

He took out the crumpled picture that rested in his right pocket. Unfolding it, he saw a different boy, young and happy. That boy was him. He'd taken the picture with her. Back at the carnival.

He was the only one in the picture.

She was gone.

His only family. His one true friend.

Dead.

He didn't realize the tears that were running down his cheeks as he felt the familiar sensation around him. The atmosphere was sizzling by now. The air was starting to warp itself. He'd perfected this technique for so long, but he'd never tried to end up in a place so far away from here. He'd never tried to appear back in New York. He was powerful.

But never powerful enough to save his sister.

He was only made to do his job. The world was spinning. As soon he felt the grass beneath his feet rather than the cold rock that was under him, he saw the bright sun shining down. The strawberry fields looked beautiful in this type of whether.

_Delphi Strawberry Service._

The pine tree was only a few feet away. He could've just appeared in the Poseidon cabin and waited. Or in the Big House for that matter. Kronos had told him all about it. Even Melanie.

He could just wait. He would wait until it was the right time.


	23. Chapter 23: All Wrong

**You think things would end so easily? :D teehee. think again :O Please review! A new characters coming up, and I think i really like her :) It's so hard to control your laziness when you have 4 more days of school left :3**

**Review! I wanna ask you: Who's your favorite character? :)**

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 23: All Wrong

* * *

Chiron looked down at his desk. He saw the recording on the mysterious shield play the video over and over again. It was of his previous trip to Olympus.

The two bracelets still sat at the corner on his desk.

_When will they come back again. . ? _

"_He is the enemy, Zeus. Not the heir!" Athena hissed back. _

"_But if the heir is defeated, Kronos will have no one to continue his work," Hera argued back._

"_Rip the child to pieces!" Ares snarled, his vermilion red armor glowing with a deadly aura. "Kill the heir!"_

Chiron got up from his desk. The shield switched off immediately. He can't continue to dwell on this. He should just act before the gods do. He would give Allen, Elli, and the girl the things they needed. They can't be tracked. They'd have to leave.

If they stayed here, who knows much longer they'll live.

Shem returned from the trip just a day ago. For once Chiron began to worry. It wasn't like Shem to be hurt so badly. He'd been taken to the infirmary straight away. And the girl . . .

"Chiron," Chiron looked up to see Mike Park bursting through the door. He ran toward his desk as Chiron hastily got up from his wheelchair. Chiron saw the beads of sweat going down Mike's face as he waited for Mike to take in some air.

"Mike," Chiron asked urgently. "What's wrong?" The two of them rushed out of the door. Mike pointed toward the sky. Two small Pegasi dotted the sky, coming down toward them.

"They're here."

**[xxx]**

Ray took the lighter in his hand, flipped it open until it clicked into a deadly axe. Clicked it again. A sword. A flail. Spear. He spun it once until it returned back to its normal form. He was sitting lazily on his bed, waiting. The cabin had grown bigger over the years. The rooms had expanded into a huge hall, although it wouldn't look like that from the outside of the cabin. It still extended underground. Soon they were going to need to draft a map, too.

Ray sighed as he saw his other siblings scurrying in and out of the halls. The imagination never really ended anywhere. They were always building, always inventing. The technology here was almost better than that of the human world. It was pretty frightening. _When are they coming? _

He'd almost begged Chiron to go along with them, but seeing that Shem might leave and the monsters crawling around the place, he, Mike, and all the other well-trained demigods had to stay to protect the others in case anything happened. The camp was growing. It's been almost 70 years. If anything was rising, Ray remembered the one thing Mike had told him two years ago.

_They picked the wrong time to mess with us. _

He was so worried for Shem when he came back. Shem was almost better than the Ares kids when it comes to hand to hand combat. He had the mind of Sherlock Holmes himself. But he returned to the camp almost dead and unconscious. He'd changed. He wouldn't even take any of the ambrosia that was offered. It was lucky he was released from the infirmary yesterday.

He wouldn't let go of the bloody scarf in his hand.

"_It was wrong for him to go by himself," Ray'd almost yelled at Chiron. Shem was his best friend. _

"_You would've been dead, Stone." Mike'd said. "He wanted to do it alone. He succeeded, Stone. And he came back."_

"_He came back half dead," Ray snapped, gritting his teeth. "Why wouldn't he drink the nectar or eat the ambrosia? He was lucky that he healed so quickly!" _

"_That's why you have to trust him!" Mike yelled back. _

Ray banged his fist on his bedpost as he rose from his bed. It was so frustrating. But that wasn't the only thing that's been running through his mind.

Petra's almost been too worried for Elli as well. She was almost more worried than Raymond. Petra came a year after Melanie . . .

He was sixteen now. Time had gone by so quickly.

He looked at the top of his bunk bed, and saw the little owl perched on top, her right wing covering her head. Bubo was so small. Ray had made her a few years back, and she was still as useful as ever, and was a great companion. Her metal coat still gleamed gold. Ray remembered how she'd gotten her name.

It'd been hard for Elli to talk again, but Petra was different. Ray actually thought she was pretty cool. She was more powerful than Mike, and Mike was amazing. But ever since Petra came to camp, Elli finally opened up. Ray had to thank her. Without her, Elli wouldn't have been as happy as she is now. He stuffed the lighter in his pocket as he got up to walk toward a deeper hall. He can't just dwell on-

"Stone!" Ray whipped around to see Ken barging into the cabin. Some of the kids started to stare at him with curiosity. The ruckus had made Bubo screech and flutter from her post. The owl hooted in annoyance as she flew toward Ray's shoulder.

"What is it, Ken?" Ray asked as he walked toward him. Ken ran his hand through his blond, spiky hair. His face was red from running.

"Petra . . .," He gasped, gathering his breathe. Ray tensed up. Did something happen? "Already there . . . Elli. She's . . . here."

Ray bolted out the door.

**[xxx]**

_Gods, help us,_ Allen prayed silently as he felt Elli's forehead. She was starting to get a little feverish. During the middle of the trip, she'd passed out, and Allen almost had a panic attack. At least she was still breathing. Melanie had said that she'd take away most of the pain. The blow must've been brutal. Allen felt Blackjack touch the ground. It was good to see camp again. Chiron was already galloping toward them in his full form, with Mike running right behind them. In the distance, Allen could see Ray sprinting toward them.

Allen looked at Kalley as she got off the winged horse. Kalley stroked the mane of Pegasus. This was probably the last time they were going to see it. At least for a while. Pegasus nickered, and rearing backward, it took off again into the sky.

Allen nearly fell off Blackjack, hastily trying to get Elli off as well.

"Allen!" Petra was already next to him, helping Elli from the horse. Petra was a year older than Elli. Her dark brown hair falling down her shoulders in waves. Allen saw her dark brown eyes fill with concern. They looked almost black in the sunlight. She was only a little taller than Elli, and Allen knew that they'd become really close friends in such a short time. "Gods, what happened?"

"She'll be okay," Allen said. Elli stirred as Petra held her right shoulder. Allen looked up to see Stone there in an instant. In a few minutes, Petra and Stone had carried Elli to the infirmary. Blackjack didn't take off, however, and a satyr guided him toward the stables. A dozen other campers were starting to make their way toward them.

"I presume that you tell us of our journey _inside,_" Chiron said calmly. Kalley was already by Allen's side. Allen nodded.

**[xxx]**

"What happened to Elli?" The first question of the day. Allen was going to enjoy this. Chiron was always concerned for Elli. She was almost like a daughter, considering how long she'd lived at camp.

Allen recalled what had happened and retold everything. Ken, Mike, and a few others were there. Stone was listening at the doorway. Petra must still be in the infirmary.

Shem wasn't in the room with them.

Allen told them everything. The attack of the Stymphalian birds. When the drachmas had been stolen. Even when Kalley had punched the guy in the face. He told about the Chrysaor, noticing that Chiron himself didn't seem surprised. Allen described Conan finding Elli. Eris disappearing, and them returning back to camp. The story took almost an hour, but no one got bored at all. They all hung on to his every word. Kalley was sitting next to him, all quiet. Allen saw how everyone's eyes all flickered to Kalley. There were so many emotions reflected in those eyes. Fear. Confusion. Curiosity. Hatred.

There was no sign of love.

Kalley didn't seem to notice; she was just staring at the ground, not looking up. Allen couldn't imagine how nervous she must be feeling.

And then Allen told about the Pegasus. He told about her abilities. How if the Nemean Lion hadn't slowed down, they all would've died. He said it truthfully. He recalled how she'd kept them alive on a car that was driving over 120 miles an hour on a road with a lot of traffic. Everyone almost perked up at that one. Even Zack Sheen looked mildly impressed. As the story came to an end, Allen didn't know what more there was to say. The room was quiet for what seemed forever. There was no more hatred now in their faces. Only curiosity.

The whole room had become even more silent when Allen finally talked about Melanie. The murmurs had melted away into the shadows. He noticed the way Mike tensed up in his seat. Chiron's eyebrows furrowed with worry. From the corner of his eye, he saw Stone shift uncomfortably in his stance. Allen remembered so clearly when the three of them had come back from a failed mission two years ago. He remembered the disbelief on Chiron's face.

The burning shroud still stayed printed in his mind.

The other kids were also sinking into the chairs, their shoulders feeling heavy with disbelief. The room was silent for a long time.

"She can obviously stay with us," Ken said, finally breaking the silence. A few others nodded, but Allen noticed Chiron's tail swish anxiously. "Why not?"

"Yeah, look at what she's done," Raymond said. A few of the others were managing a nod. Some others, however, still didn't move. Allen knew they were unsure. And yet he could understand how they must be feeling. The Titan War had affected the camp greatly, and would always continue to stay in the memories of others. 70 years had passed, and it was still a big thorn in the side.

"Let's dismiss the meeting for now," Chiron finished. "It's best we show Kalley Gladhart around the camp."

"I can show her around," A voice said in the doorway as the others shuffled out of the room. Petra stepped into the room. Chiron nodded, looking genuinely grateful.

"Then if you could excuse us, Ms. Ashling," Chiron said as Kalley got up to go out the door. Petra nodded at Chiron, following Kalley. Allen followed right behind her.

"I'll be in the infirmary," Raymond muttered before he quickly disappeared.

"Allen," Allen stopped at Chiron's voice, then turned around. He was starting to get a little confused. It was already surprising that the leaders had gotten used to the presence of the heir. He looked into Chiron's deep brown eyes. "We need to talk."

**[xxx]**

"Allen seems to speak pretty highly of you," Petra said.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. I came in a few minutes before he finished the story." Kalley looked at the younger girl. For some reason Kalley knew that the girl was thirteen, but her eyes never gave it away. Were they black? It was as if you could fall into them. Light bags circled the girl's eyes, as though she ought to start cherishing her sleep. The girl's brown wavy hair was tied up in a ponytail. When she smiled she only had one dimple that dotted the corner of her mouth. She wasn't tall for her age, but she was as small as Elli. Her skin had a light tan, and Kalley had to admit that she looked even more fit and athletic than she. She'd almost reminded Kalley of the spirit back at the cliff.

"It's pretty amazing here," Kalley murmured as she watched a group of kids shoot a basketball into a hoop. She could see an archery range in the distance, and a wall with glowing -was that lava?- goo flowing from the top. A huge forest expanded outward toward the borders of camp. "Your director's a freakin' horse."

"Glad you like it," Petra said, smiling.

"How's Elli?" Kalley asked.

"She came around a few minutes after being laid in the infirmary," Petra said. It was good that the worry had disappeared from her features. She looked up at Kalley. "Thanks for saving her back there."

"Um . . No problem," Kalley managed. No one had actually thanked her before. It felt kind of weird.

"She's probably walking around near the infirmary by now," Petra said. "You've been told enough about us, then?" Kalley nodded. Petra led her into the sword arena. Kalley could hear yells resonate into the air, intertwined with the clangs and clashes of swords.

"Does everyone know who their parent is?" Kalley asked. "I mean, their godly parent?"

"Yup," Petra said. "It's a good thing too. The gods promised that 70 years ago that demigods would always be claimed within three days of their arrival to camp."

"Who's yours?" Kalley asked. They'd already reached the long row of cabins. Each cabin looked different from each other.

"Morpheus," Petra said. No wonder there were light bags under her eyes. The dreams must've teamed up on her double time. She pointed to a dark blue cabin near the far left. "I'm the only one so far, I guess."

"Looks like there won't be one for me," Kalley said glumly. "I'm Kalley, by the way."

"Oh, yeah," Petra said, Her face turning a little red from embarrassment. "Petra. Sorry I haven't-"

"So whatcha doin' there, _Ashling_?" A voice sneered. For once, Kalle saw Petra's face fill with annoyance as someone shoved her roughly on the shoulder. The guy who'd shoved her was more than twice her size.

"Back off, Zack," Petra snapped back as she whipped around to face the older teen. Three other pretty big guys were right behind him. The guy was huge, alright. He was big and muscular, the shirt fitting tightly onto his oversized muscles. He might be older looking than Allen, but the boy's face showed that he wouldn't get through high school with very satisfactory grades. Zack smiled a toothy grin.

"Who's your friend there? Does she think she's some kind of hero already?" The four of them laughed as Kalley felt her face grow red with anger.

"What do you want, anyway?" Petra fired back as she stepped up to Zack's face. Kalley saw her fists clenching and unclenching slowly. One of the kids behind Zack collapsed to the ground. Before the other three could even register the fact, Kalley had realized that he'd been knocked to sleep. Kalley felt her eyebrows raise a little. This kid wasn't even that angry yet. Zack didn't seem at all bothered by this. Apparently falling kids didn't seem to hinder his confidence much. He smiled.

"Whoa there, girly." Zack said. "Don't wanna get too feisty, do you? You probably wouldn't wanna end up like you're friend in the infirmary over ther-"

Zack howled in pain as he almost collapsed to his knees. Kalley didn't want to laugh, but she saw Petra march away without looking back. Petra had just kicked him. Hard.

"Was the aim okay?" Petra asked as Kalley caught up with her. Kalley smirked.

"You aimed a little too low."

"Little punk!" Kalley whipped around this time to see Zack a few inches away from them. He was fast. But then again, it was as if time had slowed down. She knew what would happen next. But time didn't slow down. It was like a movie that had been replayed into her mind. She saw the fight between her and Zack. The vision showed so much more. A future that could be undone. She saw it on Zack, and could see the motions of his hands that were about to perform the moves. It looked so simple now.

_Jab there, he'll swing at your face. A kick to your knee. A punch at the brown haired girl. _

Kalley ducked the jab swung by Zack, easily sidestepping him as he began to lift his leg. Kalley dashed forward, punching him in the stomach. Zack stumbled backward, wheezing. He charged again, but this time he literally slowed down. Kalley was starting to get a little annoyed. She punched him straight in the nose. He collapsed onto the ground, yelling in pain.

"Annoying," Kalley just muttered as she turned to walk away.

Petra was standing by Kalley's side, staring at what had just happened. Kalley couldn't help but understand what the girl must be going through. Even _she_ couldn't believe that she could still control time so easily.

"Why not?" Petra said, feeling amused as she followed Kalley. She laughed, and after a moment Kalley joined her. It was the first time in a long time she'd actually laughed. "I can handle things."

"Who's _he, _by the way?" Kalley asked. Petra shrugged.

"Child of Ares. Just the classic bully you could meet," Petra muttered. "But not that all Ares kids are bad," she said quickly. "I have a lot of other nice friends there, and they agree about Zack. He's just the oldest, so he gets to boss everyone around in the cabin. Yeah, Elli seriously hates him to the bone; and unfortunately, vise versa. That's why he hates me too." Petra smirked.

Kalley was shown to a lot of other places, like the Hephaestus cabin where they forged some of the weapons. She saw the shed where they kept all the armor and weapons; she was tempted to choose a new one, but resisted. For some reason, she felt as though none of those weapons would actually fit her- even though Allen's dagger had been shattered earlier. Picking the wrong weapon would only make things worse. Kalley had to admit that she had a great time with Petra after a tour around the lake. She hoped the other kids were just like this.

"Hey, do you know where Allen is?" Kalley asked as they walked toward the Big House again.

"He might still be in there," Petra suggested, pointing to the Big House. "I don't really know, but Chiron sounded like he really needed to talk to him."

"Then I'll just head there," Kalley said, smiling. Petra was a really good person to hang out with. She started walking toward the huge barn house.

"Hey, you sure you can go by yourself?" Petra asked, a guilty expression on her face. "I kinda wanna check on Elli."

"Oh gods, stop worrying about me," Kalley said, giving Petra a playful shove on the shoulder toward the infirmary. "I'll be fine. Tell Elli I said hi."

"Come back to visit the infirmary, okay?" Petra yelled as she was running back. "I'll still be there!"

"Don't worry, I'll come over!" Kalley said, grinning. Maybe it wasn't bad staying here.

She walked into the Big House, hoping Allen would be there.

**[xxx]**

"_Rip the child to pieces! Kill the heir!" _

Allen sank into his chair, his fingers reaching his forehead. The video on the shield-like television came to a stop. _How could this happen? _Allen wondered. _How could they want to kill such an innocent person they don't even know about? _It was as if his own worries had returned back to him again. The video had taken up a huge part of their time. Chiron hadn't even said a word. His expression looked more grave for every moment that passed by. Allen sighed. He glanced outside passed the opened door of Chiron's office. The day looked so bright . . .

"What are we going to do?" Allen said desperately as he looked up. He'd just brought back Kalley, and now the gods want to kill her. He couldn't understand all the emotions that he was feeling. He felt so confused and horrible, and even angry. He banged his fist on the table. "How could they think so stupidly?"

Thunder rumbled in the air, although the sun as bright in the daylight. Allen ignored the grumbling.

"They already know she's here," Chiron said quietly. Allen stood up in frustration. He'd never felt this way before.

"We have to leave."

"I know," Chiron said, reaching into his desk. He took out a pouch full of drachmas, and reached for the two necklaces at the corner of the desk. He'd never told anyone about this. He placed the necklaces in Allen's hand, along with another rope-like bracelet. "I asked the Hecate cabin to do a little adjustments on these."

"What did you do to them?" Allen asked. He knew Chiron could do something like that without the kids questioning him. No one else would know but him and Chiron.

"They're charmed," Chiron said quietly. "so that when you wear it, no one will detect you. It's not invisibility, Allen."

"I get it," Allen said. "The gods won't be able to find us. No one will find a trace. And you made one for Kalley too."

"You will need Elli," Chiron said. "They will know you disappeared. But whether they can find you or not will be the real problem. The charm can deactivate if you just rub the first bead on the right three times."

"Just put it on the user, and they'll be gone." Allen finished. Chiron nodded. Even putting it in a person's pocket could be enough. "Not even a hunter could find you?"

"Not even Artemis," Chiron said. "Only you three will be able to _see_ each other. The three of you will stay connected as long as you have the charms in your possession.

"Where will we go?" Allen said. He was almost ready to leave. They would renew what they could pack, and Elli would be able to recover in the meantime.

"Anywhere." Chiron said. "Anywhere beyond the land of the gods."

"But that's-"

"Anything to bring her away from the gods _and _the titans."

"Chiron!" Allen almost yelled. He was trying his best to get along with the plan now, but his mind was ready to burst. "We can't do this! She's my friend. Kalley wouldn't do anything horrible now. We got her on our side, and she's out of reach from the titans. Can't the gods just vote on it and be over with it? She's different, Chiron!"

"Allen," Chiron said sternly, he'd been in the form of a centaur the whole time in the office. He looked deeply into Allen's eyes. "She _has_ to leave this place, Allen. The gods _hate _and despise everything about her. She's going to _die._"

"I _know _that Chiron!" Allen cried out. "I _know _they hate her! They want to kill her and wish her dead as much as the titan lord does! There is no more room for her. She won't have a family here if she doesn't get out of here! She'll never _belong anywhere!_-"

There was a slam, followed immediately by a crash in the hallway. Allen whipped around and saw the closed door to Chiron's office. The door.

Allen jumped up from his chair noisily, looking back at Chiron in panic.

"Go, Allen!" Chiron urged. He was starting to get out of his desk too. Never before had Allen heard Chiron's voice so full of shock. It was all one big mistake.

The door had been open a little earlier.

Kalley.

"No!"

Allen crashed out of the door, saw the figure just turn the corner, the auburn hair flying behind her. _How much did she hear?_ Allen thought frantically, running desperately out the door.

It would be all his fault, and there wouldn't be anything he could do about it. He ran out the house, saw her sprinting into the forest. He screamed her name as he ran fast toward her.

"Kalley!"

Everything was starting to get from better to worse. All over again.

**[xxx]**

It's time.

Knox got up from his post. He saw the pegasi land onto the ground. He almost couldn't believe it when he saw the small girl stir from consciousness. She was supposed to be _dead_. The other girl dismounted from the white, gleaming Pegasus. He waited for a while, thinking of where to strike.

But first he needed to take a trip. He knew where the cabins were. He could tell one cabin from the other. It was only something he wanted to have. Something that could be rightfully his.

He appeared in front of the cabin. Teleportation could have its perks at times. It was the cabin he knew would be empty. The one with limestone and sandstone nicely crafted together.

Knox opened the door.

**[xxx]**

"_I know they hate her!"_

She'd never been so frozen on the spot in her entire life. It'd only started when she'd walked toward the open door in the House.

"_They want to kill her and wish her dead as much as the titan lord does! There is no more room for her. She won't have a family here if she doesn't get out of here!"_

Confusion. It was the only thing she _could_ feel at first. It was just so confusing. SHe almost felt numb all over. But then only hatred could cloud her mind.

"_She'll never belong anywhere!"_

Kalley felt the tears streaming down her cheeks as she got up as quickly as she could, knocking down a metal bucket in the corner in the process. The talking had stopped at the time, but that only made Kalley walk faster. She wanted to scream at him. The voice who'd promised her a family here at camp. It'd been so convincing. Until today.

She fled toward the forest, not knowing where to go. Maybe she _would _leave. He wanted him gone anyway. She heard him screaming out her name, following close behind her.

She remembered that day in the hotel. What had he said?

"_If you come with us, I promise there will be a family you will return to, people you will trust, and friends who will always stick by your side. You won't think of leaving anymore."_

_For a moment Kalley just looked at him, her golden brown eyes gazing deeply into those deep chocolate brown eyes. She felt a sense of pride that she wouldn't get rid of. This boy wouldn't just get to her so easily. But she couldn't help but feel the nagging envy, the longing, and the strong hunger craving for something . . . Something she never had. That's what she needed so strongly. She wanted it._

_Then, her expression abruptly changed to that same inscrutable expression, and she looked away again. _

"_Swear it." she whispered. She felt her expression show a sense of depression and sadness, yet her eyes were full of determination. Was she crying? The statement she had spoken was barely audible, but at least Allen heard it. _

"_I promise." Allen whispered back. _

"Damn you," Kalley choked out angrily. She could feel her voice cracking as she slowed down to a walk in the woods. She could hear Allen coming closer, his yells getting louder. "Damn you, Allen!"

For once she felt completely miserable.

Although the trust she'd given Allen had taken just a week or so, it'd felt like she'd poured out her entire life to him. But just in a second, it was gone. It was gone forever.

"Kalley!" Allen cried out. Kalley whipped around and saw Allen as they both walked into a clearing. She still felt the tears streaming down her face. Her face seemed to grow hot with anger.

"How could you!" Kalley cried out in anguish as she stormed toward him. For once, she actually saw fear in his eyes. "You promised everything! You helped me come here! And then all they wanted was for me to die!"

"Please, Kalley!" Allen pleaded. His brown hair was messier than ever, like he'd undergone a lot of stress. He looked like he was about to cry too. He whipped his bow and arrows out and threw them fiercely to the ground. "Let me explain!"

"What _is _there to explain?" Kalley hissed. They were only a foot away from each other. She could see that Allen was still a couple of inches taller than her. "You said it so yourself, Allen! I don't need to be here!"

"Just give me time to explain!" Allen cried out desperately, catching Kalley's arm. She ripped away from his grasp. Kalley could feel herself sobbing right now.

"Time won't help, Allen!" Kalley yelled in his face. "You said Time was a teacher, but you're wrong! It's not a teacher at all, Allen. It's something that just eats and eats. It's like a fire that just sits there and watches us burn alive!"

"Kalley! You don't get it!" Allen yelled back at her, trying to pull onto her arm. Kalley yanked away from him.

"You made me fight, Allen!" Kalley cried out. Her voice cracked, but still the anger shrouded her mind. "You made me fight for something I wanted! I wanted a family! Didn't you promise that? Back at the hotel? And in the end all you did was to have it all taken away from me again. I fought for it! And now it's all gone!"

"You don't understand-"

"How can I not understand when you said it so clearly in the room!" Kalley screamed at him. "I _trusted _you! You were one of the only people I trusted! _Until now!" _

"Please-" Allen begged, he stepped toward her. Kalley was turning around to storm out deeper into the woods.

"I shouldn't have trusted you," Kalley said, gritting her teeth.

"Kalley!" Allen said. "You can't leave!" He lunged for her as he reached the inside of Kalley's jacket pocket. He grabbed her other arm with his free hand. Kalley screamed in his face as she pushed him away. Emotions took over her senses. In the next moment she saw Allen fly across the clearing, his back crashing into a tree. She'd never done that before. She'd felt a force that pushed him away from her, as though something had hit him really, really hard. Kalley thought she heard a crack, and saw Allen crash onto the ground, limp, but taking ragged breaths. His expression was pained, groaning as he tried to get up. Kalley felt the anger boil inside her. She hated him. She hated everyone here.

Kalley still felt the tears running down her cheeks as she walked away from Allen. Kalley saw the centaur running toward them. Another demigod was running toward them, screaming out Allen's name. Kalley walked forward until she couldn't see Allen anymore. She knew he was almost unconscious by this time. She would leave this place, forever.

"You could always follow me, you know." A voice called out. Kalley turned around as a figure stepped out of the shadows. She couldn't see his face. She was still so angry that she didn't care what she said.

"What do you want from me?"

"Your father misses you."


	24. Chapter 24: Turn of The Tide

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**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 24: Turn of the Tide

* * *

"My father has neglected me for the past fourteen years," Kalley hissed. "And now he wants me to come?"

"It's been a while," The boy said. He stepped forward, and Kalley could see his face in the light. The sandy blond hair, the serious expression on his face. His eyes were dark and cold. The stone carved features on his face made him look all the more intimidating. He wore a dark blue windbreaker and dark jeans. On top of his blond hair was a jet-black fedora hat.

"I don't even know you," Kalley said, stepping back.

"If you come, you'll learn everything," The boy said. He was a lot older than Kalley. Perhaps sixteen. He didn't look like anyone to mess with. "Your strength will increase tenfold."

"So-"

"Your secrets, your past, could all be revealed to you before your very eyes. Look around you. You don't belong here. You're too powerful." Kalley looked up. He was right. She remembered the people around her at Camp Half-Blood. They didn't want her.

"They don't care." The boy nodded.

"There's a reason why I never came here," the boy said. "You could meet your mother."

Kalley froze. How did he know?

"I can't trust anyone anymore," Kalley snapped back. To her surprise, the kid smiled, holding out his hand.

"You don't need to." He said quietly. Kalley could still hear his rich, deep voice in her mind as she took his hand. She didn't know why, but Kalley felt strangely drawn to him. Her mother was involved, and her father could explain so much to her now. Kalley took a deep breath. She felt the ground spinning beneath her. She turned back to see the trees all around her. And then it was all gone.

**[xxx]**

"Allen!"

Allen groaned in pain. He wished he were dead.

"_Kalley!" Allen cried. "You can't leave!" He lunged for her as he grabbed for the inside of Kalley's jacket pocket. Before she could even notice, he'd already let go of the bracelet in his hand into the small pocket. She wouldn't be aware of it. _

_On impulse, he saw that the chain was fitted snugly in the pocket. He grabbed her other arm with his free hand. Kalley screamed in his face as she pushed him away. He tried to restrain her, but in the next instant, he felt himself crashing into a tree a few feet away from her. He heard a crack as he cried out in pain. What'd happened? How could she do that? He remembered the past stories when Percy Jackson had fought Kronos. Her powers were beginning to evolve. _

_He tried to get up, but could feel his breath getting more and more ragged . . . _

He remembered putting the bracelet in her pocket. It was the only way she'd be protected from the gods.

Out of nowhere, someone propped him up against the tree, muttering something under her breath. Allen could tell it was Janelle, a dark haired girl who was the same age as Allen. She'd been in command of the Apollo cabin ever since Allen had left. She was the best healer in camp.

He felt his ribs slowly mending as he heard her chant a soft incantation. A warm feeling spread through his chest. Allen's breathing eased a little bit, and he looked up to see Chiron standing over him. Allen remembered everything.

"Allen," Janelle pleaded. "Please." Ignoring Janelle's protests, Allen stood up shakily, still breathing deeply.

"S-she's gone." Allen said. The centaur stayed quiet. So it was true that she'd left, whether or not Chiron had searched for her. "I saw her go."

"Allen," Chiron began gently. But he didn't get to finish.

Allen felt his face grow hot with anger as he yelled something incomprehensible at the sky. He'd never felt so angry in his life. He felt the tears roll down his cheeks as he fiercely punched the air. He and Elli had almost died trying to retrieve _her,_ and all she did was leave in less than a few minutes. She left so easily, only because of one mistake.

He felt Janelle's hand gently touch his shoulder. He could tell she was a little shocked herself. No one had seen him cry in a while. He shoved her off roughly. He was truly sorry for being so harsh, but he couldn't help but feel the anger that was blurring his mind. It was almost starting to numb him.

He'd failed.

She was gone. He'd never realized that this would happen until now.

It was his only flaw. Overconfidence. His pride gave him twisted thoughts.

Allen felt the numbness coming over him as he tried to calm down again. It didn't help to cry. It never would. He sighed, feeling defeated.

"Allen," Chiron said softly.

"Look at what the gods have done," Allen said, his voice cracking. He knew his eyes were starting to get puffy from crying. "_They _did this. Because of them, she's joined _him_." Allen still felt the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Hey," Janelle said gently, trying to soothe him.

"It's all their fault," Allen said. "They planned it all wrong, and now she's gone." Allen emptied his pockets, throwing down the two necklaces onto the ground.

"No." The three of them turned around, seeing Shem walking toward them. Allen had never seen him look so weak and injured that he was afraid Shem was going to collapse. But Shem was there walking toward them, his spiky brown hair blowing in the wind. He might've looked horrible, but he seemed to act like everything was perfectly fine. "She's not completely gone."

"She's-"

"There are only two necklaces located in your pocket." Shem said.

"I placed the last one in her jacket pocket," Allen said quietly. "To protect her from the gods. They would never be able to find her."

"Chiron's told me what they can do," Shem continued. He seemed to be eyeing him with a different gaze. Were his eyes sparkling a little bit more? It was just like in the legends, when Sherlock's eyes would gleam with intensity when faced with a formidable problem. It was only then that the pieces started to click in Allen's mind. "Only-"

"Only _we_ can see her now." Allen said, picking up the two necklaces and fastening his own around his neck. He rubbed the first bead three times. They didn't need to hide from the gods for now. He'd find her soon.

"Be ready," Chiron said quietly. "Take as many people as you wish, but you have to consider their worth."

Allen walked up to Chiron silently. "They won't interfere this time," Allen said. "They can send as many creatures as they want after us, but I will destroy all of them. It's time they just watched." He looked at Shem. "Meet Elli in her cabin forty minutes from now." Shem nodded as he left without asking for an explanation. It looked like he already knew what Allen was thinking.

Allen walked away from the clearing, feeling the ache in his ribs subside as he continued to stalk away. Silently, he thanked Janelle.

He'd made a promise.

He couldn't break it. Not this one.

**[xxx]**

Elli sat between Petra and Ray on the bench outside the infirmary, her head resting lightly on Ray's shoulder. They'd only just started to rest after the events that had happened that day.

She'd told him everything. Elli sighed. Melanie was really gone this time.

"_I think it was better that way," Ray said. Elli had to admit that she agreed. _

Mike had heard it too as he came into the infirmary. Soon, Elli was able to just get up and walk around again. She was tired of being hurt so much. It'd been a while, but now she felt a whole lot better. At least Kalley was back at Camp Half-Blood, and they wouldn't need to worry anymore.

_She'd feel at home with us, _Elli thought. Even Petra had already made great friends with her.

It was good to actually be back too. Ray and Petra had almost died over that past few days worrying about their friend. Elli had only realized how rarely they contacted back.

"Elli," Petra said quietly. Elli sat up from Ray's shoulder. She saw Allen stalking toward them in the distance. To Elli, it clearly looked like he wasn't in a good mood.

Had she seen Allen cry? That was almost as though she'd heard that lamps could talk. Elli had always known Allen to be so confident. He always had a plan, and he knew exactly what to do. Ray had been surprised Allen wasn't the son of Athena either. Ray stood up from the bench.

"Something's wrong," He said. Elli could feel the dread creeping up her back. Allen was already walking up the steps. Elli saw his eyes bloodshot and a little puffy from crying, though he looked as though he was trying to conceal it. His necklace was back around his neck.

"We have to leave," Allen said darkly as he walked up and looked down at Elli. Elli almost wanted to choke. But it was Petra who jumped up first.

"What are you talking about?" Petra asked fiercely. "You of all people should know that she needs to rest."

"Petra," Ray said calmly, silencing her. He looked at Allen. "She's still right, Allen. Why do you need to, anyway?" Ray asked.

"Kalley's gone." Allen said, his voice cracking.

_What?_Elli thought, shock running through her mind. She jumped to her feet. Elli was glad the fresh news had caught the others' attention, or they would've seen Elli sway a bit.

"_Huh?_ W-what do you mean?" Petra stuttered.

"The gods wanted to kill her."

"_What?_" The three of them exclaimed.

"She must've found out," Ray said, his face turning pale. Allen nodded. He told them everything, about the broadcast from the shield, how Kalley had overheard their conversation, and how everything had gone wrong at the last minute.

"But how could they be so unfair?" Elli asked, her mind frantically thinking of a plan.

"She just got here too," Petra said, looking down.

"Where did she go?" Ray asked.

"A party just circled the camp's parameters," Allen replied dryly. "She disappeared."

"We're going to leave, right?" Elli asked. More than anything, she wanted to go back with Allen to find Kalley again. "I mean, we have to." Allen nodded.

"But I came to see you guys," Allen said. "Because I want all of you to come."

Elli caught the look of surprise on Petra's face.

"O-of course," Ray said. He was a little surprised too.

"We can't let Shem come along," Allen said. "Seeing the condition he's in, and we can't risk our best strategist."

"It'd be better if he fought behind the lines for now," Ray agreed.

"And Petra's already made great friends with Kalley, from what I've seen and heard," Allen said. Petra nodded.

"I'll definitely come," she said.

"And you need someone like me to come along," Ray said, grinning. "I don't wanna miss all the fun." Allen was still looking down, looking grim.

"What happened, Allen?" Elli asked. She knew him a little bit to at least know that there was something else.

"Chiron told me to get some advice," Allen said. "From the Oracle."

The silenced seemed almost palpable in the air. Elli felt her blood freeze from head to toe. Chiron wanted to make this a quest?

"I won't lie to you guys, or change any of the lines," Allen said slowly. It really looked like he wanted to, though. "But I know it's going to come true anyway. And knowing all the other bad experiences there've been in the past."

Elli felt herself go stiff. She saw Ray's fists clench a little slowly. Of all people, they could actually relate.

"Is it really that bad?" Petra said. Allen closed his eyes and sucked in a breath.

"_The Time of guilt has dawned upon,_

_The four who face a journey anon_

_Fire foreboding, an enemy aloof,_

_The walking dream, foreteller of truth_

_The heart of the tide, one of the last,_

_Along with her heart, will find her past _

_The hero destined to mislead his trail,_

_Before his eyes, three times he'll fail._

_The Age of Chaos, an enemy's cry,_

_First thaw is proof the hero must die." _

"Oh gods," Elli said. Allen sighed as his shoulders sagged down even lower. "And it's so long too . . ."

"It's two lines longer than . . ." Ray muttered. "The one two years ago . . ."

"Are you sure she told you correctly?" Petra asked nervously. Allen nodded. "I don't even know what half the prophecy means."

"Start from the beginning," Elli managed.

"The time of guilt has dawned upon," Allen said. "The four who face a journey anon."

"Well, that's pretty self explanatory." Ray said.

"What's _anon_?" Elli asked.

"_Soon,_" Allen said quickly.

"Shakespeare addict," Petra muttered, cracking a smile. Elli was so glad to see one start to appear on Allen's face.

"Fire, foreboding, an enemy aloof; the walking dream, foreteller of truth," Allen continued. He didn't look so sad anymore, but of course, the four of them felt pretty grim.

"And thus you have succeeded making me feel lost," Elli said, wide-eyed.

"I think we have to skip that," Ray said. It looked like he didn't seem to get it either.

"I don't think I understand the next two lines either," Petra said nervously. She looked at Elli. "But the heart of the tide . . . well, that's you, Elli."

"But we don't need to find my past," Elli said, a little too anxiously. "We've already done that; and along with my heart. . . Well, I don't think I _love_ anybody, right?"

"The hero destined to mislead his trail; Before his eyes, three times he'll fail," Ray continued. "That can't really be good."

"You don't say," Petra said dryly.

"The Age of Chaos, an enemy's cry; First thaw is proof the hero must die," Allen finished, trailing off at the end. There was silence afterward.

"Hey," Elli said, trying to reassure Allen. "You know they could mean a different person. Even if it's your prophecy, it might not be you, or it might not be Kalley."

"Doesn't matter," Allen said, sounding indifferent. It looked like he didn't want to think about it. "We start tomorrow." He placed something in Elli's hand. It was her necklace. "We'll know where to go with this."

_Um, I don't really get what you're saying, _Elli thought. _But okay. _

"Write it down on a paper?" Elli suggested. The prophecy was so long, she was scared the whole thing might disappear from her mind.

"Already done." Allen said. "I spoke to Shem, and told him to meet you at your cabin."

"Why?" Elli asked, a surprised look on her face.

"He'll give you some tips," Allen said. "And I know he wants to speak to you."

"He could help us with the prophecy," Ray agreed. "Of course he could."

"I'm just going to the cabin to get some sleep," Petra muttered.

"Like you could actually get some," Ray muttered back. Petra waved a hand to shrug it off, but Elli had to agree. She would never be able to get a decent sleep. Ray shoved his hands into his pockets as he strolled away. He looked back at Elli. "I'm going to go catch Mike and update him."

Elli nodded.

"You better go too," Allen said. "Shem's looking for you."

"Sure, okay," Elli said, smiling. She bounced toward Allen and gave him a huge bear hug. Allen was stiff, but hugged her back after a few moments. "We'll find her, okay?"

Elli felt her heart sink deeper when she saw him nod only slightly.


	25. Chapter 25: A Tainted Deduction

**Sniff sniff. **

**Sniff. **

**Not only is the story almost finished, but there no one is reviewing either D: **

**I will still tell you. Yes in here Elli will refer to a lair under the lake, I hope you've read my other story :) ****They're actually intertwined. The Dark Tide and A Time for An Heir can go back to back, and each shows clues the story!**

**And you start to learn a little about Shem. I WILL ASK YOU. What do you think happened? **

**Please review! :) Tell me what's wrong, too! :O Too long? Bad Grammar? Spelling? **

**Mary Sues? :OOO gasp. **

**Oh the dreaded words. **

**Review Please!**

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 25: A Tainted Deduction

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Elli ran to her cabin. She ran past the boys scoring multiple hoops at the basketball court. She dashed across the field full of ripening strawberries. The lava rock-climbing wall glowered in the distance. The life here at camp seemed so normal. No one knew what had just happened a few moments ago. The gods had wanted to murder a child, possibly with their own hands. Sometimes it sucked to keep everything so confidential.

Melanie had told them that the previous prophecy had to do with Kalley. At least, that was what she'd believed. Elli racked her brain hard, but she still couldn't remember most of the lines. She couldn't even remember the first two.

At least her friend had written it somewhere.

_I'll take the book with me, _Elli thought arriving in front of her cabin. _Maybe it'll just give us more questions to ask._

She swung open the door to her cabin, expecting to find Shem. No one. Hastily she clasped the beaded necklace around her neck. Melanie's was back under the lake. She felt the beads bump against the mini conch shell that rested there.

She stopped dead at the doorway. Elli could feel her breathing get shallower as she looked into the room. The sunlight streamed into the empty room, revealing the torn bed sheets and the overturned chair. The bedpost was chipped and slashed in a few places. The walls were in the same condition. The fountain laid on the ground, its beautiful limestone rock crushed to chunks and pieces.

Someone's been here.

"He must've been angry." A voice said. Elli could hear him walk up to her side. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Shem, when did this happen?" Elli squeaked. She walked toward her bed, and looked at the wall. Percy's pictures were still perfectly intact. His Minotaur horn was still hanging on the wall. For some reason, she would know it wouldn't be the same if those pictures had belonged to her.

"The fountain," Shem said, observing quietly, muttering. "Water only semi-dry . . . sunlight kept to a reasonable amount-"

"About 10 minutes ago?" Elli guessed. To her surprise, she knew how much had fallen, and now she could tell when. It was the property of the amount of water that'd told her.

"It seems that you don't need me," Shem said hoarsely. "Don't you see? When one is willing to observe and deduce, the results are fairly obvious."

"Do you know who did this?" Elli asked. She let Shem walk forward as she scampered toward the bed, reaching her hand underneath it. Hastily, she retrieved the object she'd thrown under the bed the moment her father had visited. She brushed the red leather book that rested in her hands.

"Hum," she heard Shem muttering under his breath, "A tall one, I see. Perhaps nearing his sixth foot. Hum, hum . . . Ah! On the corner of that bed sheet, a single golden lock of hair. By the looks of it, his skill is in swords-"

"Knox . . ." Elli whispered to herself. Thank the gods Melanie's knife was under the lake. Yes. Under the lake. The secret lair that Elli had just discovered two years ago. It made a nice place to be alone in. And it was so big that Elli hadn't explored through all the passageways yet. It was almost as awesome and as cool as the tunnels of Hephaestus. She looked down at the book. Then he knew about this book. Melanie had written so much in here. Elli felt her breath get caught. He knew about everything. Melanie would always tell him everything . . .

The prophecy.

She yanked the book open, knowing what she was going to see. But what she saw was far worse than she'd imagined.

She wanted to scream. Elli gasped in terror. Elli felt the sweat running down her face. The pages. How?

She looked through the book frantically, looking at every single page that held the entries her friend had taken the time to write. All of them. Every single one had been half torn or shredded in some way. Some pages were completely missing. The beautiful images were gone. Elli reached the halfway mark of the booklet, and felt her heart sank.

The page that contained the prophecy was gone.

They would never know now. Even Mike wouldn't remember at all.

"Elli," Shem said. Elli still couldn't believe what she'd just seen. Shem helped her up, shaking her by the shoulders. "Elli," he said again, his voice full of concern. "Come on. It'll be fine."

Elli mentally attacked herself.

_He's right,_ Elli thought fiercely. _Your friends need you. But why does it have to be this way? _

She looked up at him, noticing the fading black eye on his face. She'd finally gotten a look at him ever since he entered the cabin. Covering the beaded necklace around his neck was a white scarf. It looked as though it was stained with blood . . . Elli looked down to see his right arm that had just let go of her shoulder. Well, his left had looked perfectly okay, but Elli caught the thick bandages that were bounded around his right arm, from Shem's shoulder blade all the way down to his wrist. Elli thought it was a trick of the light . . . But were there already red marks showing through the wrappings? The slash was so long . . .

"Shem," Elli said slowly. "What happened to you?"

Shem stepped back as he looked around some more at the debris that lie on the ground.

"When you leave, it'll be alright," Shem said. "Ken can get some people to clean it up for you."

"I don't really care," Elli said. " Allen said that you hadn't told anyone anything yet. What happened, Shem?"

"Why are you so worried?" Shem asked, a sound of irritation in his voice. Elli had never heard _that _tone before. "You have your own problems to worry about."

"But you're helping us," Elli said. "Can't we help you too?"

"You're wasting your time." She heard Shem reply dryly.

"Not really," Elli said. "We know who came here, and I think the guy found what he was looking for."

"Then I only need to tell you what Allen wanted me to tell you," Shem said. Elli nodded reluctantly; she'd dismiss pestering Shem for just a moment. "The necklace is wired to find others with the same properties. You can find Allen, and he can find you."

"So?" Elli said.

"Chiron asked the Hecate cabin to construct a third one," Shem said slowly. "And that one was for-"

"Kalley," Elli said. She looked at Shem, who was nodding.

"Before she left, Allen was able to put it in her pocket," Shem said.

"But won't we know right away since the gods can just track her right away?"

"The gods won't know," Shem said quietly. He reached down to rub a bead on Elli's neck. Three times. "This deactivates it for now, Elli, but when you rub it three times again the gods will never be able to find you. It'll just be you, Allen, and Kalley."

"And you don't want to come?" Elli asked. "Ray and Petra are coming too."

"Sometimes Allen is right when it comes to these things," Shem said, sighing. "I prefer to take a break for now. But be careful, Elli."

"I know that," Elli said, a little annoyed. Just because she was younger doesn't mean that she couldn't protect herself. "Why do you say that?"

"You have a tendency to always put your friends before yourself, Elli," Shem said. "Do you ever notice that?"

"I've never actually thought about it," Elli shrugged. She knew her brother had a knack for that thing too. Well, she really _didn't_ think about it until Shem mentioned it. Maybe she was going to be just as reckless as Percy. Probably with less luck. "But I have to follow my instinct, right? Sorry Shem, but I can't help it when my friends are in danger. Why else should I be careful?"

"Because sometimes, you shouldn't always listen to Allen," Shem said. Elli looked up, surprised.

_Allen's a great leader though, _Elli thought. _Sometimes I wonder what he could do wrong. _

"He could do anything wrong," Shem said, reading Elli's mind. She knew he could be able to, although he wasn't gifted with the power of reading one's thoughts. Elli's expression only needed to reveal it to him. "He's too overconfident, Elli. The actions that he believes that are right could just the mistakes that he could make."

"Then that's why we're there to support him," Elli said. Shem nodded. _Follow your heart, _his expression seemed to say. Elli thought for a moment. "Why isn't he taking Mike along?"

It'd been bugging Elli for months now, even before the time that they'd had to find Kalley. She didn't understand why Mike rarely came out of the cabin, and only conversed with a few close friends like Ray or Ken. It'd been starting to happen ever since Melanie had gone.

"For two years, he's been trying to control his ability," Shem said. "Elli, what would you do if you had the ability to read minds, but couldn't control it?"

Elli opened her mouth to say something, but immediately closed it to think for a little.

"I would go nuts," Elli answered. Shem nodded. "But doesn't he have his earphones to keep him a little at ease?"

"The thoughts are still too powerful for a device like that. As he gets older, the power gets stronger and stronger. The earphones that were given two years ago were only a stimulant," Shem answered. Elli could see that Shem was absolutely right. She'd never thought about it, but Mike must've felt so guilty about ruining the privacy of others, and he probably just wanted his thoughts to himself. Shem turned around, kicking over a chunk of rock that had broken off from the fountain. "Elli, just imagine if he could finally control his power. He would be better than Petra, if he'd learned to master it. He's just too afraid. He could be the best sword fighter in the world. Better than you. He could even be able to defeat Kalley or anyone at a chess game."

"Mind reading really does seem complicated," Elli said, running a hand through her hair. "But maybe sometimes it was just hard to understand a person's thoughts?"

"That's why he needs to learn," Shem said quietly. "It confuses him, those wild thoughts. And look at how many people are around him."

"So he turned down Allen's offer?" Elli asked. Shem nodded.

"And you're really sure you don't want to come?" Elli said. Shem sighed.

"If I come, it might just make the conditions all the more worse for the team. There are already four people on the quest, Elli. And that's already in itself quite risky."

_He can actually talk like a normal person, without all the intermediate vocabulary,_ Elli thought, smiling inwardly, although she did feel a hint of disappointment. Having him on the team could mean that they could find Kalley in a shorter time.

"Then I don't understand-"

"I would lend you Toby," Shem said. Elli knew he was referring to his beagle that lived somewhere else in New York. Perhaps in a shack of some sort. "But he's . . . unavailable at the moment."

"Because of what you've been doing on the mission?" Elli said. She noticed Shem twitch slightly. Still, Elli couldn't help it. She was too curious. "It looked like someone died, Shem. That scarf looked like it belonged to a girl. And it seems that you love her too-"

"Detection is," Shem almost snapped back, "or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner."

_Scratch that about him being a normal kid,_ Elli thought miserable.

"It doesn't have to be that way!" Elli said. "You could've saved her."

Shem stared at her.

"You have no idea what you are talking about," Shem said coldly.

"I-"

"You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism," Shem said angrily, "which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid!"

"Oh my gods, Shem! I don't even care what you're saying now!" Elli said, clearly annoyed. Why was this such a touchy subject for him?

"Would you fight for something just to have it taken away from you?" Shem countered fiercely. Elli looked up at him in shock.

"Y-you don't know that that will happen, Shem," Elli said slowly.

"You've never felt like that before," Shem said, glaring at Elli. "You don't even think like that."

"I can't even afford to think like that," Elli said, looking fiercely back into his eyes, emerald green to stormy gray.

"I've stepped into the world you call love once, Elli," Shem said. "and it's something not worth going to again."

"So?" Elli said. "You can still take ambrosia and nectar, can't you?"

"What does it matter!" Shem fired back.

"Because everyone is worried about you!" Elli almost yelled in his face. His eyes were a stormy gray, his brown hair sticking out of his hat in tufts. Both of them were breathing heavily. "Everyone is constantly worried, and they only want to know what's happened because they want to keep you safe!"

Shem's face didn't seem to change at all, but Elli swore she saw his eyes dim a little bit.

"Ambrosia and nectar is not worth reminiscing about," Shem answered. He let out a breath, sighing. He closed his eyes, sighing angrily. "We are wasting time."

"Hey-"

"I do not wish to argue with you any longer, Elli. You'll need to leave tomorrow in better spirits."

"No," Elli said, finally toning down a bit as well. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry. She shouldn't have pestered Shem so much. He was under so much stress and pressure. Elli had so much on her mind that it was so obvious to her that she was going to blow up soon. "I didn't mean it. I'm really sorry Shem." Shem turned to leave through the door.

"They'll come in tomorrow to clean this up," Shem said quietly, regaining his composure. It was as though nothing happened. But Elli knew she could see that he would never forget it. "We'll be needing each other soon, Elli."

The door closed behind her with a soft thud.


	26. Chapter 26: To Let Loose

**Helloooo my precious readers!**

**You don't know how happy you've made me! :3 A few hours after posting I get reviews ! :O  
I was so happy :3 The only sad thing was that I came from intense badminton practice and couldn't move my wrist to click on the reviews and story alerts on my email :3 **

**Sabr1na: I'm so happy you like it! You're welcome :3 Happy reading!**

**Helios Spirit: Thanks for the review! I'll tell you that the lair under the lake also appeared in my other story :)**

**Speaking of my other story... hum.. hum... :]  
Yes the leather book that was ripped up in Elli's dorm room was Melanie's own. If you want an accurate description, you can read my story (teehee) but it's filled with pictures that can move based on her entries. Don't worry, it's not a diary :) **

**And Oh right. Do you remember that nervous voice in the beginning of the story who was with Kronos?  
Y-yes, master? **

**Well, that character's still got a role to play. (or already had a role to play... muahhah :)) **

**Review!**

**-Olo Eopia03**

***P.S. Idk why this chapter is in bold.. it doesn't turn up in my doc manager but when I post it and check the preview voila! It's bold -.-' Well :O sorry :O :) read tho!**

* * *

Chapter 26: To Let Loose

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_The Time of guilt has dawned upon,_

_The four who face a journey anon_

_Fire foreboding, an enemy aloof,_

_The walking dream, foreteller of truth_

_The heart of the tide, one of the last,_

_Along with her heart, will find her past _

_The hero destined to mislead his trail,_

_Before his eyes, three times he'll fail._

_The Age of Chaos, an enemy's cry,_

_First thaw is proof the hero must die._

He couldn't get it out of his mind.

Allen sat on the ebony black bench in front of the piano that sat in the middle of the room. Ever since he'd come here, this was his sanctuary. The crumpled piece of paper that held the prophecy was the only thing sitting on the piano stand in front of him. He was alone in the Apollo cabin. The surroundings were quite unique. There was a dartboard on one side of the wall. A big poster of a wolf, Apollo's sacred animal, filled one side of the room. A mini basketball hoop hung from the door, where many small softballs lay scattered around it. Sections of the room contained shelves full of antidotes or other medicines came in different vials and bottles. One shelf contained a series of books full of poems or literature. Allen stared at a book for moment.

_Couplets To Curse Your Enemies, _Allen read, wonderingly. _One Stanza can Turn Your Face Blue . . . Poe's Depressing Guide To Handle a Harpy . . . Jabberwocky A Cousin of Ladon? The observations of Lewis Carroll. _

At least, some of them were books full of poems and literature.

Gods, some people were crazy.

All sorts of paintings of Greek gods and demigods covered the walls. There was one that pictured the 12 Olympian gods in the magnificent Throne Room on Mount Olympus. Small portraits of various people. Shakespeare was there hugging some sort of tree. Again, it's part of his ADHD, probably.

Hopefully.

Music stands were crammed in the corners of the room. The floor was covered with loose pieces of paper fluttering about, with scribbles of forgotten tunes, heartfelt poems, and insane concertos. Although the place was a little big, and they had their own forms of soundproof protection from other musicians, they could at least still use another room. Bows and arrows cluttered the floor. He was just like everyone else. Almost.

Elli and Ray were at dinner, throwing food into the fire for the gods or something. Petra was probably sleeping, or at least trying to. And Allen was just here, sitting in front of the piano and staring at the keys.

_Rachmaninoff seems okay, _Allen thought. _Paganini, Mozart. Minor seventh triads . . ._

He listened to the melody that played from his fingers. He'd only noticed that his fingers were dancing along the keys. It wasn't a concerto, a sonata, sonatina, or anything of the sort. It wasn't even a song that seemed to exist in print. He remembered this tune . . .

Back at the restaurant. He remembered Kalley staring at him in awe and admiration.

Now that Allen thought about it, it was a sad melody. But a hopeful one? He couldn't tell.

The tune was beautiful.

He finished the piece slowly, taking his time. Gus was probably sneaking into the hall right now, grabbing a few crumbs or cubes of cheese. Allen stood up to walk to his bed.

"Aren't you hungry, son?" Allen sat on his bunk bed to face his father. It was a little unnerving to see that his dad was so young. Thank the gods he was still more older-looking than Allen. Apollo looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old. A nice smile played on his face. Allen looked at the sandy hair that covered his head. His dad had taken off his pair of shades, and he wore a nice red T-shirt, with blue jeans and loafers.

"Hi dad," Allen sighed. Apollo breathed deeply as he began his poem,

"_Cheer up for once, pal. _

_Just think of your mouse and cheese. _

_Start being amazing."_

Apollo pumped his fist into the air and cheered. "It should be a masterpiece."

"There's six syllables in the last line," Allen said. Apollo's face fell.

"Oh . . . Well," Apollo muttered. And as quickly as it had fallen apart, his face lit up as he snapped his fingers. "Got it! _Start being cool, son._"

Allen applauded mockingly, but Apollo didn't seem to notice as he bowed multiple times. Allen rolled his eyes. Allen only wanted to keep the mood up a little so his dad wouldn't feel too bad.

"You're still into haikus?" Allen asked.

"Hey, seventy years isn't such a long time," Apollo said defensively as he sat on the piano bench. "Artistic and easy to make. That's the key to poetry."

"So you've come here to cheer me up with a bombardment of haikus," Allen said slowly. He didn't see this coming.

"Hey, that actually sounds like a great idea!-" Apollo said.

"No!" Allen said quickly, almost yelling in panic. "I mean- I'm fine, dad. I feel pretty good right now."

"Is that so," Apollo said, smirking. His expression seemed to soften. "You know I'm always on your side. And even if you weren't my son, I would still agree with your choice."

"The gods must be furious," Allen said.

"You don't need the gift of prophecy to tell that, Allen," Apollo said. Allen never knew a teenager could look so worried. "The vote's five to seven now, Allen. And it's still not looking good."

"But for once, Poseidon and Athena are on the same side, aren't they?" Allen asked. Apollo nodded. Poseidon would at least agree with his daughter on this one, and he knew Athena had supported their reason because of Kalley's encounter with her in the dream.

Kalley.

"You're right, though," Apollo said. "I'm not here to throw haikus at you. And I hope you've known that I would support you at all costs."

"You have to understand that we'll be finding her without the gods help," Allen said.

"I can still help," Apollo began.

"No, dad," Allen said. He considered this. "You can try, but that would only separate the gods even more. That's exactly what Kronos wants. They're already being separated."

"We'll keep everything under control, okay, Allen?" his father said. Allen nodded gratefully. His dad might be quite annoying at times, but sometimes he can actually be really understanding.

"Thanks," Allen said, looking down at his lap. Hanging on his bedpost was the Nemean Lion coat, now disguised as a brown hoodie. Allen knew before that it'd taken the form as a leather jacket. Maybe this thing knew Allen needed a new one. His green hoodie lay discarded in the trash can, full of tears and dirt, already looking beyond repair. He wondered how he'd stand now against a monster. Maybe he should bring another hoodie just in case. Someone might need this one more than he would.

"I will try to find you in your dreams, Allen," Apollo said. "But Zeus is starting to get more and more cautious. He's slowly cutting off communication from the gods to their children again. It'll be harder to contact you, but I'll still try."

"Then what else have you come here for?" Allen asked.

No answer.

He looked up to see his father facing the piano stand. Apollo took up the crumpled piece of paper, turning back to look at Allen.

"You do know that this is the new Great Prophecy, right?"

_What?_ Allen's mind yelped as the ground spun under his feet. Allen jumped up from his bed. Apollo nodded.

"You're really sure?" Allen asked. Apollo stared at him, and for once Allen actually felt very stupid. He was talking to the god of prophecy.

Apollo held it up to an angle as he faced the window. The sun was starting to set, but sunlight still shone through the glass window. Before Allen could realize what was happening, a flash of light caught his eye, and the paper caught on fire. Allen yelled as the paper disappeared in Apollo's hands.

"Dad!" Allen cried out, walking toward him. That was the only sheet of paper that held the words. His father wasn't the god of fire, but he really did know how to control the sun.

"Tada!" Apollo said, smirking as he produced a small scroll from his hand. Allen stared at him with disbelief. This was his father, a god. A very immature, rebellious, and weird guy.

"Crazy," Allen muttered. His dad didn't seem to hear him. Apollo produced another object in his hand: a medium sized brown pouch.

"Come on, son," Apollo said. "You gotta start listening to my haikus. Chill!"

A god was telling him to chill out.

"You were once dressed as a hobo called Fred when you visited Percy Jackson," Allen said, watching as his dad placed the scroll in the bag. "I should've gotten used to you a _long_ time ago."

"As you could guess," Apollo continued as he handed Allen the bag, "The scroll holds the prophecy. And that bag is a special bag. No one will be able to open such a bag except the owner or without his permission."

"Thanks, dad," Allen said appreciatively. He placed the pouch around his neck, feeling the container of the prophecy grow smaller and smaller, until it was the size of a single dime. But Allen couldn't shake off the fact that it'd gotten heavier.

Allen had thought his dad was done for the day. Already knowing he held the Great Prophecy around his neck was very overwhelming. But Allen caught Apollo staring at the foot of his bed, where his bow lay. The quiver lay on the ground, with arrows scattered onto the floor.

"I see you've kept your bow in amazing condition," Apollo said sarcastically. Allen felt his cheeks grow hot in embarrassment. The light brown longbow was filled with scratches, and multiple parts of it were splintering. The drawstring was even starting to strain a little. The edges of the wood were already cracking, too.

"There's always a new one at the weapon storage," Allen said, shrugging.

"But I wanted to come here," Apollo said, grinning, "To give you this."

Allen took the pitch-black arm guard the three-fingered glove that had appeared in the god's hand. The arm guard was made of leather, and looked quite firm. Allen put it on his left arm, feeling the weight of it. An arm guard was supposed to protect one's inner arm from being injured by the weight of the bow or the snap of the bowstring. Only Allen's jacket sleeve had prevented him from receiving such injuries.

The three-fingered glove provided an archer's drawing hand with a better grip. Allen's fingers brushed against the smooth, black leather. He smiled.

_Yeah, I can get used to this,_ He thought as he tried on the three-fingered glove. He knew some of his brothers and sisters had these, but he never actually thought of getting some himself.

"Thanks," Allen said. His dad smirked, but Allen couldn't really see why.

"You really think your father would get you such small gifts?" Apollo said. "Zeus and Poseidon aren't the only ones who can make things extra fancy."

"What do you mean?" Allen asked, still feeling greatly confused. Apollo huffed in annoyance.

"Dude, your tiny water friend is able to take out her sword just by unclasping her necklace, yes?" Apollo said slowly, as though he were speaking to a little kid.

"Yes daddy," Allen muttered in annoyance as he looked at Apollo. He'd had his friends telling him his dad was hot (not in the sun god kind of way), and he'd already gotten used to his father calling him a _dude. _Gods, even Allen didn't do that. His father was very annoying sometimes.

Why would his dad care about Elli's sword, anyway?

"Well, my little archer," Apollo said, "_You_ only need to think of or say a single word." Allen stared at him blankly.

"Uh, okay," Allen said. Apollo's eyes lighted up in frustration. "Okay! Okay!" Allen said quickly, holding up his hands in surrender. "What's the word, then?"

It was Apollo's turn to look blank.

"Eh that," Apollo said sheepishly, "Is something I'm too lazy to foretell."

Allen almost wanted to smash headlong into the wall.

"You give me a nice gift," Allen said. "And you don't even know what this so called _word_ is, and supposedly just thinking or saying that word when you need it will do something to this arm guard."

"Here, hold up your bow," Apollo said. Allen reached for his bow.

Allen yelped to see the bow burn into this air so quickly as he yanked his arm away. The fire however, didn't affect the bed or the environment in anyway.

"Thanks, dad!" Allen said angrily as Apollo huffed in aggravation. "What was that for?"

"Pick up your bow."

"But-"

"Pick up your bow," Apollo repeated, almost infuriatingly as he enunciated each syllable carefully. Allen sighed.

He held his hand up in a position where his bow would've - or at least _should've -_ been.

"I feel stupid," Allen muttered.

"Excellent!" Apollo's face lit up as if he were about to produce another haiku. "Now, I guess just think of anything that comes to mind."

Allen wanted to just stare at him more, but instead he closed his eyes. Maybe it might work.

Uh.

A moment passed. _Any word would do, _Allen thought as he opened his eyes.

And then something appeared like an idea in his head.

_ἀφήτωρ_

He was so glad that his eyes were open to see in front of him. The arm guard seemed to morph and grow as Allen registered the tiny clicks that were being emitted from the device. Before he knew it, he was already holding an ebony longbow in his hands. It was a beautiful model, and for some reason he felt his eyes were playing tricks on him. The bow wasn't black, but it had a certain touch to it, as though the weapon were made with carbon fiber. The draw string glinted silver back at him. The arm guard extended behind his shoulder, and Allen glanced back to see a dark black colored leather quiver filled with ebony arrows.

"Interesting word, by the way," Apollo said, pleased to see the astonished look on Allen's face. "Fitting word for an archer, as it literally means _to let loose,_"

"Aphetor," Allen said again, slowly. It was the word that'd come to his mind. He didn't need to be surprised that Apollo knew what Allen had thought. "T-thanks."

"One of the strongest woods out there. At least the bow won't break, eh?" Apollo said, waving his hand dismissively. "Well man, my golden bow is obviously still better, but the color black wouldn't get detected so easily, would it? And the quiver will refill itself, if you actually have enough time."

"You're saying that it'll take a while to duplicate itself," Allen said slowly. Why not? Apollo nodded.

"There's my son that doesn't act so dumb!" Apollo said happily. Allen twitched when it almost rhymed. Apollo's smile slowly vanished. Allen willed Aphetor to close. He felt the bow melt into his arm guard. It was just too cool.

"The bow string is unbreakable," Apollo said quietly. "Unless your hope and determination on the thing you set your mind to is dashed."

Allen stared at him. For once, he felt afraid. He'd panicked when the Nemean Lion appeared and felt devastated when Elli'd been taken away. But never afraid.

Until now.

"Hang on, okay?" Apollo continued. "And don't lose faith in yourself Allen. You have to keep trying."

Allen nodded slowly. Apollo smiled. Was that pride in his face?

Allen brought his hand to his chest, where the little pouch that held the tiny scroll of paper rested.

"The Great Prophecy," Allen murmured.

"Yeah kid," Apollo said, grinning. "The time is upon us again."

"You say it like you're excited," Allen said glumly.

"Hey," Apollo said. "A growing boy like me needs some excitement,"

"I feel like I've had enough," Allen muttered. Apollo stood up.

"Well, I'd really like to say hi to Janelle, who's coming in soon I believe," Apollo said, "I've visited her in her dreams. She's very helpful, smart, kind. I'm glad she excels greatly in her healing abilities. But I think I've stayed a bit too long."

"Hey dad," Allen said. Apollo looked down at Allen. "Kalley can see the future, can't she? She can tell what's going to happen. She'd shown signs of it in the restaurant."

"And?"

"How is it different from your foretelling?"

"Allen, I only tell what is going to happen," Apollo said. "She's much more powerful. She can also tell _when_."

"Oh . . ." Allen said. What a wonderful reply.

"Take care, 'kay son?" Apollo said as his form turned brighter. Allen nodded.

He closed his eyes and turned his head away from the god. He caught the slightest glimpse of the door knob of the cabin starting to turn. Janelle would enter, and not even know that their father was here. A bright flash of light, and he was gone.

"Thanks, dad."


	27. Chapter 27: Uncontrollable

**Sorry guys for one week late post! Reward: Another chapter will be here on Thursday!  
Please review :) It makes the writer SO happy!**

**The next few chapters will be in Petra's point of view, whom I think is actually a very cool character! :) **

**In chapter 7, Elli throws a book underneath the bed as Poseidon comes to visit her. That's the book that Knox stole, and for more details read my other story :) It's Elli's story. **

***Do you want me to continue the story?  
****Review! **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 27: Uncontrollable

* * *

_Raymond breathed heavily as he aimed his spear at another dummy. He was in the arena. After eating dinner, it was a good way of calming his senses. Lately, the prophecy was on everybody's mind. _

_He retrieved his weapon and flipped it upward as it transformed back into a small lighter with a click. He flicked it open again, watching as he transformed into a sword this time. If Elli had the strength and size, she would've probably beaten him in a few seconds. But she could hold off for a while. _

_Would he ruin this quest? Could it be like the last one? Raymond shook his head, shaking the worry out of his mind. No one could afford to think like that. This was probably a quest that was worse than anything any demigod would probably go through. They didn't even know the details. _

_They could fail. It could be like last time again. Raymond felt his sword droop a little as he threw it upward again to see it change into a spear. He rolled, then flashed the weapon, hitting the dummy straight in the head. Raymond thought about the short visit to the Hecate cabin just before dinner. He thought his friend could use a little bit of company. _

"You know, Stone," Mike had said. He was on the top bunk, lying down. Raymond saw his friend's hands brushing along the old pair of ear buds. The device seemed to be broken, and although Raymond had spent days going nuts over fixing the device, he couldn't replicate it, let alone make it better for Mike's condition. "Whenever someone comes into the room, it seems that you're one of the few people who don't seem to bother me."

"I take that as a compliment," Raymond had replied dully. "You're sure you don't want to come?"

"You really think I can?" Mike said, sitting up in his bed. "It's getting worse, Raymond. I'm trying to block it all out, but I can't. It's infuriating."

"But you know when you master it, you could be better than any of us at almost everything," Raymond insisted. But he knew it was already a lost cause. His friend wouldn't come. Mike smirked.

"Petra's good enough. She's even better, considering she could control some of it. No wonder most people don't bump into things when they sleep walk."

"It doesn't matter if it's like she has eyes on the back of her head," Raymond said. "Fine, you don't need to go. I only wanted to tell you bye before I left. You ate dinner, right?" Mike nodded.

_Yeah, of course, since you might want to give up something to the gods at the fire sometime. _Raymond thought loudly. Mike glared at him as Raymond grinned back mischievously. It wasn't even an insult, but it was fun to communicate telepathically.

"Annoying, but I'll come to see you in the morning when you leave," Mike promised as he lied back down again, sighing. Mike hated to go outside when there were so many people walking around. "I think it should be you who needs to worry. Take care of Elli, 'kay? I know she's already turning thirteen. But she's a little sister to all of us."

"Of course," Raymond said. "But make sure Shem doesn't do anything drastically stupid, okay?"

Mike cracked a smile. "A stupid Shem? How interesting."

"Good luck then," Raymond said, grinning as he walked out the door. Mike called out to him, and Ray stopped.

"You know Kalley?" Mike said. Raymond turned around and nodded. "When Allen told us everything, he wasn't lying at all. And Kalley . . . I can sense her thoughts too, Stone."

"And then?" Raymond asked, waiting for him to go on.

"And she's almost," Mike stopped for a minute, trying to think of the right words. "She feels alone. Isolated. I can tell that she has an attitude sometimes, but that's because it's her way of trying to not make herself feel vulnerable. She has these walls, Stone. She's stubborn, like her dad."

"She didn't do anything wrong," Raymond said. "And I think I would feel like her if the gods had wanted to kill her. You know that Chiron is going to speak at the top of the Empire State Building, right?" Mike nodded.

"Stone, you have to get Allen to get closer to her. I think he's the only one she trusted until she heard about the gods." Mike said.

He shook his head, as if recovering from a pain. Raymond stared at him, his face apprehensive.

"You're okay?" Ray asked.

"I don't know," Mike said. "When she heard that they were going to kill her, I could almost sense her pain all the way across from camp. I tried to run, but by then she'd already left. It was like an explosion, Raymond. She'd never trusted someone before, and now she thought Allen's betrayed her."

"Did she love him?" Ray asked, curiosity filling his mind. Mike twitched.

"I . . ." Mike said, trailing off. "I can't say. Her thoughts were so hard to read because everything had gone into complete chaos."

"Well," Ray said. "I think Allen has a liking for her, but I can't say either. I'll try to update you telepathically. Just relax, okay Mike?"

"If you even talk to me once while you're across the United States, I'll kill you when you get back, Stone." Mike said dryly, but a smile appeared on his lips. "Don't get too aggravating, okay?"

_Raymond smiled as his thoughts brought him back to the arena. He lifted his hand up to his face, where he could see his fingertips glowing red. In an instant, a few flames had just appeared, licking at his fingers. The light reflected in his eyes, and he could feel his hand grow warmer as the flame danced around his palm. _

The scenes shifted in a blur. It looked as though this wasn't going to end for a while.

_It was an image of Allen sitting down on the bed in his cabin and talking to someone. Allen held a long black bow in front of him. The person he was talking to couldn't be seen, and nothing could be heard from the things Allen was saying. It was starting to get fairly annoying. _

Instead of another look at Allen, the image abruptly distorted.

_Elli Fugino burst out of the water, climbing onto the shores that separated the earth and the waters of the lake. She seemed completely dry, with her long, black, straight hair falling loosely behind her shoulders. She wore a new orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, with the usual jeans. The water formed a neat circle around her as she stood on the surface. Elli fingered the conch shell at her neck as she looked down at her side at the bronze knife in her hand. _

'Horkos,'_ Elli thought. _'To Promise.'

_She placed the knife had her left side, feeling lucky that she didn't need to have it clang against a sword that would've been there if it hadn't been for the gift from her father. Dinner was almost unappetizing since the scene at the cabin, but she knew she had to eat. She had seen Gus along the way, giving him a cube of cheese as she passed by. _

_Now she'd just come from the bottom of the lake, and although she felt refreshed, she didn't want to go back to her cabin. Petra was asleep, and Ray was fighting in the arena. Allen probably wanted to be alone. _

_Still, they had about half a day before they were going to leave this place again. And it wasn't going to be easy. But so what? She still wanted some cotton candy. She hadn't had any in such a long time . . ._

The bright scene of the sparkling lake disappeared, replaced with a certain darkness. Elli was a little weird.

_He tore through the mattress, his sword gleaming red in the dark. He didn't need the light of a lamp to know that the walls were covered in glittering limestone. There was already enough sunlight shining through the window. The ceilings were full of sea creatures and hippocampi. _

_He hated this camp. He slashed again at the walls as he looked around. There was a shoebox hanging on the wall, but that didn't seem of any importance. There weren't even any pictures of the little girl and her best friend. On the wall he only saw pictures of a black-haired boy with sea-green eyes, a blond-haired girl, a black haired girl with a silver ring on her head, and a satyr with a cap to probably cover his horns. He didn't care who else turned up in the other photos. She just wasn't in any of them. He tore the bed sheets away as he looked under the bed. By the light of his blade, he saw an object that had almost been long forgotten. _

_A simple book. _

_He flipped through the pages. He could feel his hands shaking more violently as he saw the beautiful illustrations of the things she wrote. He knew his could never be as beautiful. And yet the both of them had no skill in freehand drawing. It was the will and mind that conjured up these pictures. And Melanie had a strong spirit. He'd always wondered why Hecate had given him the book. He didn't deserve it. _

_Why couldn't he do anything in this world? His powers had grown tremendously, and were still growing. He could produce light at will, conjure things -though not very well- out of thin air, and had almost mastered his ability to appear from one place to another. Was it not enough? _

_He'd trained for two to three years under the direction of the Time Lord himself. Every day. Maybe it wasn't enough. He stared at the book in his hands. _

_It was the only thing left of her. And that daughter of Poseidon didn't deserve to have a single memory of her. He tore away the pages, ripping them savagely from the spine of the leather book. He wouldn't mind if the girl find this in its place. Perhaps she'd give up to try to find him. He looked at the illustrations: they were pictures of her and Elli, and occasionally he'd see himself, still a boy. The boy in the pages did not look back at him with the fierce and curt expression that he would develop over the years. _

_He flipped to the last page that held any content. The rest were empty._

_Four will venture on this quest,_

_Only one will fail the test._

_In the garden you will find,_

_The truth of who was left behind._

_Fall, and three will succeed._

_To overthrow her love for greed._

_Two, in darkness, will turn to one._

_And blood will flow with Time, a curse is done._

_Did this matter? He read the last few lines again. Could it have to do with the heir? _

_He ripped the page out completely. He stared at the handwriting that trailed off at the bottom: _

'_Elli,_

_We all knew that this was going to hapen someday. I'm probably dead to you, arn't I? This book's for you now. Only half iz filled out, and I hope you'll be able to finish it. You've been such a great friend, did you know that?_

_I'm sorry._

_-Melanie'_

_The side effects of dyslexia ultimately led to the lack of Melanie's spelling accuracy, but it didn't hinder the boy's gaze at the paper._

_It didn't matter. He just didn't want that Elli to have the upper hand. She never will. _

_He threw the book back under the table, feeling anger as he stood up and pushed the fountain to the floor. The marble broke with a crash. Someone would come soon, maybe it would be Elli herself. _

_But if half the book was left for her, so be it. It wasn't like he'd care anyway-_

Petra gasped as she opened her eyes. She could feel her heart racing as she sat up to wipe off the cold sweat that matted her forehead. That was already too many dreams. And they were all different and new compared to the old ones she had. Petra shook her head as she brought her knees up to her chest. These really weren't what normal people dreamt, but was it like this for other demigods?

She didn't have control over them this time. Petra looked around her room at the shimmering walls. Percy Jackson had requested that a cabin be built for several minor gods after the Titan war, and the cabin of Morpheus was one of them. She wasn't really like her father, other than the fact that she had some of his abilities. Her hair was brown, and while she knew her dad's eyes were blue, hers were almost black. It was a little unsettling. She knew she was of normal height, but standing next to Raymond always made her feel ridiculously short. Elli had told her he'd been like that since she met him.

Well, it was because Elli was so small, so that's always a given.

She stood up from her ebony black bed. Behind the curtains that were drawn over the window were some poppies that stayed outside in the sun. Her room was plainer than others. The walls were a beautiful color, as though some kind of shiny, color film were put over a black wall. It wasn't as if you had stepped into the land of My Little Pony. Anyone would be overjoyed to be there, but the walls here were still dark colored and iridescent. Dreams were okay when you get used to it, but they could still give you the chills.

But it'd only been an hour or so, and Petra almost didn't want to sleep at all. She didn't need to look in a mirror anymore to see that the bags under her eyes were getting darker and darker. The daughter of Morpheus, who was the god of sleep, couldn't get any sleep at all. How lovely.

Petra ran through the contents of her dreams as she got up and tied her hair in a neat ponytail. She'd just seen Raymond in the arena fighting as he thought of a previous visit with Mike. Petra couldn't help but feel guilty at unintentionally eavesdropping on their conversation. Some of it had to do with her. And after that it looked as though Allen was talking to someone, but she didn't know who or what he or she were saying. The Apollo cabin was big because it had to fit so many instruments and various weapons. The grand piano was one of them. Not the weapons, I mean. It's an instrument.

Yup.

Petra remembered when Elli had told her the story of the quest they had taken a few years back. Elli had told Petra when they had become close friends after Petra had arrived at Camp Half-Blood. Three months since the quest. She was one of the only few who knew a lot of the details. Raymond had regained most of his memory, but Petra couldn't help asking him if he even wondered about his mom.

She remembered him looking at her in genuine surprise. Surely he'd thought of it before? He only shook his head and told her and told her he's starting to remember bits and pieces. Slowly, he was remembering his past birthdays, his first time playing with fire, and more details of how he and Elli went to Camp Half-Blood. But his mom was still deep under all those memories.

Well, as for _Petra's _mom . . . She's the best mom anyone could ever ask for. She wasn't like her friends, whose parents were either gone, left, missing . . . uh yeah. Her mom was caring, and the best thing was that she understood who Petra was, and she knew the consequences if a monster would ever see them. It was no wonder her dad had come to love her. Petra was glad to have a mom like her. Her mother actually cared.

When Petra's mom had agreed that Elli could stay over with them over the summer Elli had looked at Petra with those big sea green eyes. They almost looked like huge UFO's much too big for her face. But for the first time in a while, she was going to spend time outside of Camp, and with a family.

It was even weirder when Petra and Elli had come home and her mom had already prepared them with hot chocolate. It was almost as if Elli couldn't stop staring at her. She kept stuttering at how thankful she was for just a cup of chocolate. Petra's mom kept talking to Elli, and she would always answer questions quickly and happily. Petra was glad her mom was like this. Her mom was so understanding. At least Petra had a more normal life than many other demigods.

But it was only because Petra had never known what had happened to Elli's _own _mom. Every time Petra had asked, she would see her friend's smile falter, but only for a second until she smiled again. And she would just say, _she's okay._

Definitely weird. But Petra didn't want to push. Maybe it was better if Petra didn't know. She hoped she wouldn't have any dreams about them.

Petra finished running through her dreams, stopping at the one where Elli had come out of the lake, holding a dagger in her hand. Petra knew she already had _Parodikós_, but that knife was probably very special to her. And cotton candy was very special too. Wow.

And then there was the older boy that had appeared in the Poseidon cabin. Did Elli know about this? Petra stood up and steadied herself by putting her hand on the bed. It was still a little unnerving, the sense that she had been trying to control for a while.

But just as she walked out, she felt someone behind her. In a moment, Petra had already sidestepped and caught the person's arm. She couldn't stop the grin from appearing on her lips.

"That's not fair!" Elli whined as Petra let go. "That's just not fair!"

"Come on, Elli," Petra said. "You know you can't catch me by surprise."

"Mike was right," Elli sniffed in mocking annoyance. "It's no wonder people don't usually bump into things while sleepwalking," Elli looked at Petra, not noticing the slight raise of Petra's eyebrows. "You can actually feel where we all are now?"

Petra nodded. Since her arrival at Camp Half-Blood, Petra had had the ability to tell where everything was. She didn't know how, nor explain why. But she'd had it ever since she was younger, but now it's only been getting stronger. The first few days at Camp Half-Blood were aggravating. She felt _everyone_. Yes, she felt them. It was some kind of energy each person and object possessed, and it made Petra almost dizzy. It was no wonder she liked to stay at home, since Manhattan was so crowded.

But she was able to pull through everything, because she met people here that quickly became her friends. Elli Fugino, who became her best friend. Raymond Stone, whom only Elli would call him _Ray_ without Raymond being offended. Mike Park, the one she could be able to connect with and share her thoughts, and _he _could share his. And now Allen Stradwood was going to drag her into something she'd never thought she was capable of.

Maybe she wasn't.

That was why she understood Mike. She could sense the presence of other people, and that had driven her nuts for a few weeks until she'd learned to accept and control it. And Mike sensed _thoughts,_ which could come in groups or waves, and he was still going insane for two years, and still hasn't controlled it. Petra knew how he felt when he invaded the privacy of others only because of the dreams she's had so many times before.

It was crazy, but Raymond said that was the only reason why Petra had gotten the upper hand. For the moment, she was better than Mike, although Petra didn't believe it. She didn't think someone like her could actually do anything.

If Mike learned to control his abilities . . .

Petra knew that Elli had been there, and if she thought that that was some other stranger, Petra would've tackled her onto the ground out of caution.

"I guess," Petra said, shrugging. Elli gasped, her eyes growing wide.

"You have a sixth sense!" Elli said, jumping around Petra. Elli was already twelve. Petra almost shook her head. "Dead people! Ah!"

"Oh no!" Petra played along. She should tell Elli about that blonde haired boy soon. Elli smiled, and then stopped jumping to look at Petra.

"Have you ever tried to fight in the dark?"

"What?"

"Fight in the dark," Elli repeated. Petra ran a hand through her hair. Well, it _was_ possible. It wasn't like she would need the light in the first place anyway. She never really thought of that. "You sense people, don't you? And objects, like swords or arrows? That's so cool."

Petra looked at Elli in disbelief. She had to tell her friend about the incident that had happened in the Poseidon cabin, and this kid was so small and immature. Maybe she had an overdose of cotton candy.

"Yeah," Petra admitted, agreeing with Elli. Why was she always getting sidetracked? "Mortals sleepwalk in the dark, and they almost don't hit anything. I guess I can do it too."

"We should do it later!" Elli squeaked, her eyes lighting up.

"It's not that easy," Petra said. She remembered when she had to steady herself when she'd gotten out of bed. It was because as her senses moved outward, she could start to feel everything. She could feel the people in the arena fighting as their swords clashed. She could sense Raymond -who were one of the few people she could identify- thrusting his spear into another dummy. She could feel the dummy tear open, too. She could feel the viscous lava flowing down the rock wall, and the satyrs outside in the strawberry field opening their mouths to talk to each other.

"What do you mean?" Elli asked.

"It's like," Petra tried to think of the right words. "Everything's so detailed and busy, it's still hard to concentrate on other things. I can't concentrate of one thing for such a long time without feeling a leaf or something fall to the ground, or a Pegasus ruffling its wings."

"Does it bother you?" Elli asked.

"It does." Petra admitted. She didn't like how she disliked her power, but she could handle it better than Mike can. "And there's something else."

"_What?_" Elli asked in shock. "What is it?"

"When I touch things, I can see what happened in the past to that object," Petra said. Petra wanted to smack herself when she saw a blank look appear on Elli's face. "I mean, when I touch a bow and arrow, I remember who used it before me, and the person before him, how many arrows they shot, where they shot it."

"How?" Elli asked. "Mike can't really do that."

"I don't know," Petra said, feeling helpless. "I know it might be because everyone dreams about what they've done in the past all the time. For more than ninety percent people don't really see anything when they're dreaming. And they forget. It's like I can sense what they've done through the dreams they've had."

"And imagining is kind of like dreaming when you're awake, right?" Elli guessed.

"I suppose," Petra said, thinking. Wasn't she going to tell Elli something? She was pretty sure . . .

"Can I have a Jelly Baby?" Elli asked.

"Hold on!" Petra said impatiently, suddenly remembering about the dream. Geez, Elli could go on forever. Her and Jelly Babies . . . "I don't really know why you would want to have a Jelly Baby so suddenly, but I had a dream about some blonde kid who was trashing your cabin, Elli."

Yup. Just one dream.

"Only one dream?" Elli looked at her, surprised. What, can this kid mind read? There's something wrong with her. "Yeah, I saw my cabin while talking to Shem. Y-you had a dream about Knox."

"Okay," Petra said. "Whoever that guy is, you're probably right."

"And only one dream, huh?" Elli persisted.

"Fine, fine! I surrender!" Petra said, feeling exasperated.

After a long encounter with the stories, Petra couldn't help but wonder how much it would turn out to be if someone had come over to measure the diameter of Elli's large green eyes.

"You didn't have control over any of your dreams?" Elli asked. Petra shook her head sadly.

"It feels weird. I could even tell if I was actually there or not," Petra said. "But I only watched." Petra felt herself get a little dizzy. Everything outside was starting to bother her. The farther and more closed in they are, the better. "You know, we can ask Chiron if you can hang out in my room for the night. You're room doesn't seem to be very hospitable at the moment."

Elli grinned. "Okay!" She said. "He'll say yes, probably."

"Can we talk more inside?" Petra asked. "I need someplace more quiet."

The two of them walked into the room. Elli plopped onto the black bed as Petra opened the windows. Petra looked at Elli only to see the green eyes dimming as her eyes drooped a little. Elli yawned as she stretched her arms into the air.

"The blankeys are so shiny," Elli said sleepily.

"Elli," Petra said sternly. She knew her bed had that effect on people, but it never really bothered her much. "There are Jelly Babies just under the bed, waiting for you to adopt them."

Elli popped up from the bed as though a cork had burst from a wine bottle. Petra sighed.

"Me see!" Elli squealed as she ducked her head under the bed. She looked back up at Petra with a hurt look on her face. Petra felt her lips tighten, trying slightly not to laugh.

"Oh, never mind," Petra said, a smile forcing its way onto her face. "They were just dust bunnies, after all."

Elli huffed in annoyance. She was going to sit on the bed again, but one look from Petra made her trudge to the chair next to the bed. As Elli complained that the chair was too hard, Petra felt someone coming to the cabin. It was a familiar sense, but Petra couldn't really identify it. She could feel his spiky hair blowing in the wind, and his facial features were starting to form an image in her mind. But it was still hard to pinpoint who it was, since she'd never actually practiced so hard with her abilities. The person's name was just on the tip of her tongue . . .

"When will you give me a real Jelly Baby?" Elli asked. "You're just like Allen when he keeps promising Gus to give him cheese."

"Oh!" Petra said suddenly. Elli looked at her in confusion. _Allen. _

The door burst open, and the two girls turned to see the one Petra had sensed a moment before. Allen stood at the doorway, his brow furrowing as he stared at Petra. He seemed so calm, it was hard to think of what he was going to ask her.

"Petra," Allen said. "I need talk to Kalley."

* * *

**Remember to press that review button! Or Elli might attack you with cotton candy :) **


	28. Chapter 28: Experimenting In The Dark

**11:59 pm. I kept my word lol :) **

**Thanks for the alerts! Um. This chapter is also from Petra's perspective, and I think I'm really starting to like her. **

**She's a cool character, I think :D **

**Review! Please :) **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 28: Experimenting in The Dark

* * *

"What?" Elli asked, her eyes widening.

"No." Petra said firmly. She knew exactly what Allen was talking about. It was a little too dangerous to be doing these kinds of things.

"Why not?" Allen asked angrily.

"Why what?" Elli asked.

"You _know_ that she can't be asleep right now, Allen," Petra said. Elli's face brightened, immediately figuring out what the subject of their conversation was. Petra looked at Allen, seeing the tense look in his eyes. "Don't you think she might need a little space right now?"

"Space," Allen growled. "Is all she needs to get closer to the Titan Lord."

"I think it's a brilliant idea!" Elli said suddenly. Petra stared at her.

"Elli, he could take one wrong move, and he could get lost in his conscience for a _while_," Petra said. She'd never tried it before, but she'd talked to some people about the concept. She thought only _she_ could be able to travel from one dream to another on her own. "I didn't know you would mind him getting lost in his dreams."

"I do," Elli said. "That's why I think you should take me."

"Huh?" Petra and Allen said together. The argument went on for at least ten minutes until Allen stopped the fight.

"Why don't you let me do this?" Allen said. "I want to do this."

"You could-" Petra began.

"He can do it," Raymond said simply. Everyone turned to see him standing in the doorway. Petra didn't even realize him walking to the cabin. He glared at Elli a second later, with Elli staring back with huge, innocent eyes. "Well, Allen can. But we're not letting Elli go."

"Agreed." Allen said immediately.

"What!" Elli exclaimed, whining. "Why?"

"Three against one," Petra said. "Seeing that I'm in the vote."

"Petra, you're actually okay with it?" Allen said, surprised.

"No," Petra said. "But knowing that Raymond came back from warming up in the arena, I don't think I'd put up much of a fight."

Raymond smiled. "I don't know, Petra. I'm pretty sure you can take on me blind folded."

"We should try it until it starts to get dark!" Elli said. "See, Ray and I think alike."

"Never-" Petra said.

"And what about Kalley?" Allen started, interrupting Petra mid-sentence.

"Too bad, you guys are both being dumb," Raymond said, glancing at Elli. "For once, Elli's actually right. Kalley's not asleep this early in the day, and I think it'd be nice for one of us to have something extra up our sleeves."

"We already have enough," Petra said glumly. Allen stood up too, looking dejected. "Allen's already assembled some kind of all star team to find Kalley. Elli's the daughter of Poseidon, and Ray has-"

"It's Raymond."

"-has the gift of fire," Petra continued, ignoring Raymond. "And Allen's some kind of baby Legolas that doesn't have elf ears."

"Thanks, Pet," Allen said, grinning at the last comment. _Pet _was a nickname that had stuck to her for a while now ever since she came to camp. "And you're different too, you know."

"Sometimes comparison doesn't go a long way when it comes down to me and Elli, Allen," Petra said. For some reason, she felt as though Mike had felt this way too. But the thing was, she didn't mind. She would think Mike cared a lot.

"Even if that's not true," Raymond said, standing up, "We're going to see what else you can do, Petra."

**[xxx]**

"Can you see me?" Elli asked. Petra gritted her teeth in frustration. It wasn't fair to just blindfold someone just because three people had teamed up on her. She knew they were somewhere in the forest, but now she only saw that her surroundings were engulfed in darkness. If her abilities had been blocked then she would only be able to smell the fresh air, hear Elli's voice, and feel the grass beneath her feet. She could feel the new form of leather that was wrapped around Allen's arm. An armguard? Elli's water bottle was on the ground, and Raymond seemed to be flicking his lighter absentmindedly.

But the gift Morpheus had given her told a different story. Elli, Raymond, and Allen were right. She could pinpoint their locations -although vaguely- directly in front of her. She knew they were there, but she never really thought of concentrating so hard when she had her own vision to rely on. Now it was a field that had multiple blind spots. At the Big House she could feel the hard hooves of Chiron clopping down on the wooden floor, and Blackjack resting in the stables.

Petra yelped at an object that had come right toward her. As her hand reached up to grab a small, squishy ball, she sighed in relief and annoyance. She knew who threw it, too.

"Allen," Petra muttered, feeling the corners of Allen's mouth turn up.

"Hey, it actually works." She threw the ball back at him.

"We're trying hand to hand combat first, okay Pet?" Raymond instructed. He thought Elli could go first because she was the smallest and least trained in hand to hand fighting. And she made a lot of noise compared to the other two.

"Yes, master," Petra mocked, bowing toward Raymond's presence. She thought she could feel the slight twitch of his mouth as Elli walked up to her. She hoped he was annoyed.

She could feel Elli taking a swing, and Petra immediately met with a block. She felt Elli's grin of delight. Elli's wrist met Petra's softly.

"You know you can hit Petra harder, Elli," Raymond said. The simple combat continued for a few minutes, and Petra didn't have a hard time. From single punches, Elli started throwing in kicks too. She was small, but she knew _some_ basics. But no matter. As soon as she had arrived at camp, Shem had taken a lot of interest in her ability. She was taught by Shem himself to fight. And Shem was just as good as -if not better- than a son of Ares. Petra just couldn't get the right balance. In the end, though, Shem's help still did not improve Petra's vision in her mind. But he was happy he was able to train someone like her. She was almost as good as him too.

Petra could start to feel the people walking to different places. It looked like the four of them were going to miss the bonfire. But that didn't stop her from feeling the crackle of the hot flames that towered in the sky. They didn't even know what happened to Kalley. Maybe they will in a few moments. Petra countered Elli's attacks easily, and in a couple of incidents, tripped Elli or caused her to bump into a tree. Good thing Elli didnt' have a sword with her.

Petra felt something coming toward her. It was as if it had no solid outer layer, and it came to her fast. Before she knew it, she was on her back, sputtering out water and wiping her face.

"I thought it was just hand to hand combat!" Petra spat out as she took off her blindfold, seeing Elli take a drink from her half-full water bottle. A pair of huge green eyes looked at Petra innocently.

"She was getting tired?" Allen suggested, shrugging, "It doesn't look like you like to play with being blinded all the time, Petra. You're movements are jerky, and you don't seem to be paying attention to her movements as you do when you have your sight."

"I barely felt the water," Petra muttered. "But I could feel a lot of other things, which really annoys me!"

"Not my fault I had water," Elli said sheepishly. "It's a habit. You should put on the blindfold again."

"It's okay," Raymond said as Petra tied the cloth around her eyes. "Once everyone is heading to bed you'll be done. Elli's going to Chiron to ask if she could stay in your cabin for the night."

"Then who-" Petra began, but raised her hand immediately to grab Allen's arm. This was not fair. Leave a thirteen year old to fight a boy more than half a foot taller than her.

"See you in a bit, Petra!" Petra heard Elli call out happily as she skipped out of sight.

If you've seen two demigods fighting before, it starts to get a little intense. Allen was faster, but Petra was glad that she'd fought Elli in the beginning to warm up. The fight went on for what seemed like an eternity. Allen aimed a punch, but Petra ducked just as quickly and tried to aim a kick at his temple. She felt Allen's punch graze her shoulder as he pushed her down to the ground. Allen's attitude wasn't rude, but Petra could feel the mischievous smile plastered on his face.

"Can you even see me, Pet?" Allen said curiously. "It's like you're blind."

"Hey, you're not the one who can sense how many people's mouths are opening now to sing!" Petra cried back.

"Embrace the ability!" Raymond called out. She could feel Allen nodding.

_It's not that easy, _She thought. Petra got up to her feet to try again as she jumped up to clip him in the temple. She felt herself crashing back onto the ground as Allen pushed her firmly off her feet. It wasn't a move that had implied roughness. Allen only used strength.

"It's like you're crashing into the wall, when your inner sight's supposed to make a path for you," Raymond said, throwing suggestions here and there. Petra got back to her feet for who knows how many times. She could feel the dirt and twigs tangling in her hair as Allen flashed again toward her.

Shem had taught Petra to use speed and grace. She blocked a blow that been delivered. Blow after blow after blow. She tried to swing a kick under him, but Allen jumped up easily. With speed and grace, strength was suppose to come with it because of the momentum. But it was still hard to find the exact location of Allen's fists. Petra flipped backward until she landed on her feet, four feet away from where Allen was standing.

"Only Shem's teachings are saving you now," Allen said, grinning as his breathing started to get quicker. In only a few moments, Allen had grabbed her arm and tripped her. Petra felt her cheek buried in the grass as Allen pressed his knee harder onto her back. "I win," Allen said playfully. He pulled Petra up to her feet.

"That didn't even last ten whole minutes," Raymond said, as Petra took off her blindfold to shoot an annoyed glance at him. He seemed to be laughing a little. Petra took note of the faded bruise on Allen's right cheek, but could feel that she probably looked worse. Petra groaned, feeling the side of her neck. "Petra it was like you were a play doll to him."

"How about you blindfold yourself and see if I turn you into swiss cheese," Petra growled, rubbing her shoulder as Raymond supported her left side as Allen took her right shoulder. In a few moments, Petra was able to walk again on her feet. It was only a small fight. Petra had gotten worse from Shem. As they reached Petra's cabin, they saw Elli under a huge pile of white new bed sheets bringing it through the door.

"You look horrible," Elli called out to Petra as the four of them entered the cabin.

"Nice to see you too," Petra called back. She turned to close the door as Allen and Raymond walked into the room. "Er, you sure this is okay?"

"What? Janelle knows that I'm coming here to ask your help." Allen said, shrugging.

"Yeah, Petra," Elli said, giggling. "It wasn't like the time when Charles Beckendorf couldn't get out of Silena's cabin."

"Anyway," Raymond said quickly as he gave Elli a stern look. "Allen, you ready?"

"Yeah," Allen said as he slowly lied on Petra's bed. Petra couldn't believe that the fight had gone by so quickly. Would she rather be doing this or lying face down with Allen's hand on her back?

"Are you sure?" Petra said, taking in a breath. She took the chair that was closest to Allen. He looked back at her, brown eyes to near black.

"Petra, I need to talk to her." Allen said. "I did something very wrong a while ago."

"It wasn't your fault." Petra insisted.

"Let me talk to her." Allen said, closing his eyes. Petra wanted to scream at him and tell him to stop telling her what to do, but she could see that they would have a better chance with this. She could feel the lights in the other cabins switching off gradually. A lot of people were pulling up the covers over their heads. Petra took a deep breath and looked into Allen's calm face. She could feel him breathing deeply and knew he was already starting to fall asleep. He was so tired.

Petra looked at Raymond and Elli, seeing them nod.

"We'll be there to help you when you come back," Elli promised. Petra swallowed, and looked back at Allen. They were going to do this for Kalley. Petra reached to touch his temple with both her hands. As she inched forward, she focused her thoughts toward the one who would go so far to save a single person.


	29. Chapter 29: A Dream Within A Dream

**Uh. Very debatable for me to write this chapter :) sorry it took so long too. **

**I appreciate all the favorites :OO u guys are amazing!**

**I'll just have to say that I will agree with Petra that Allen can sometimes be a complete idiot :)**

**Review! **

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 29: A Dream Within A Dream

* * *

Petra felt the tips of her hands almost brushing toward Allen. This was so new to her; Petra felt like an amateur. As her fingers started to rest on Allen's temple, however, the numerous voices started to grow louder and louder.

_You have to control it,_ Petra thought to herself, gritting her teeth. But she couldn't. It was so hard.

The moment she touched Allen's head, Petra could've sworn she'd gotten electrocuted. She closed her eyes as she tried to calm down, but it was no use. She felt herself being swallowed.

_He couldn't believe it. _

_Allen sprinted out the door. He'd never seen Chiron look so shocked in his life. And Allen couldn't feel more heart broken. _

_He saw her run into the trees. He ran blindly toward her, ignoring the people he roughly shoved past. _

Petra gasped softly. He was in such pain.

"_Damn you, Allen!" He heard her choke out. Was she crying?_

"_Kalley!" Allen cried out desperately. He needed her to listen. She'd never trust him again. And it was all his fault. _

Oh gods, please, _Allen thought, _Let her listen to me!

**[xxx]**

Elli fidgeted slightly wither her necklace as she looked at Petra and Allen. She could've sworn she saw Petra gasp in pain. Her hands were frozen stiff, the tips of fingers just barely touching Allen. Ray had told her to calm down, but Elli felt as though something wasn't right.

Elli gasped as she saw Petra gasp in pain, more loudly this time. Elli saw her friend about to fall forward onto Allen, but in a moment, Elli had dashed forward to catch her friend.

"What's wrong with her!" Elli heard Ray almost yell in the cabin. He rushed forward as Elli reached toward Petra.

**[xxx]**

_Kalley whipped around. _

"_How could you!" Kalley cried. Every syllable was making Allen's heart thud with guilt. Petra stood there in the middle, paralyzed at the scene before her. She wanted to move. She had to yell. Wanted to shout. But this was no dream. This was only a memory. _

_Petra reached out, but couldn't stop them from talking. The both of them were crying. _

"_You promised everything! You helped me come here! And then all they wanted was for me to die!" _

"_Please Kalley!" Allen pleaded. "Let me explain." _

"_What _is _there to explain?" Kalley hissed back. Allen almost stepped back in pain. He didn't mean to tear her apart. _

Petra felt herself falling . . . the darkness was starting to engulf her.

"_I shouldn't have trusted you." Kalley's voice rang in her ears. Petra felt her own eyes water. Everything that Allen was feeling at that moment, Petra could feel right now. It felt almost ten times worse. He'd betrayed Kalley. _

"_You were one of the only people I've ever trusted," Kalley yelled. "Until now!" _

"_Kalley!" _

Petra felt herself jerk upward with a jolt. She felt Elli's hands on her shoulders, holding her tightly as though Petra had fallen forward. Petra felt the sweat down her forehead; she could feel the uneven breathing that had belonged to her own body. She looked at Allen, who was still calmly asleep.

She'd touched chairs, touched people, touched desks, the rockwall, even a plant, but she'd never felt the pain concentrated in one spot all at once. Was this how Allen felt?

"Petra," Elli gasped. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry. I-I think I woke you up."

"N-no," Petra stammered. "I-I wasn't in the dream yet. I'm fine."

"When are you going to understand that lying to us won't work?" Raymond asked. He put his hand on Petra's shoulder. She could feel his warm hand under her shaking.

"I-I saw you fall forward, Petra," Elli said. "And I reached forward to keep you from falling forward but it was so fast, that I think I did it too quickly."

"A-Allen," Petra said. "No wonder."

"Petra, you're shaking," Elli said.

"You don't need to do it anymore," Raymond said, looking worried. "You're looking pale, Pet."

"No," Petra said again. Elli and Raymond looked at Petra in shock. "I have to do it. You don't know how he's feeling right now."

Petra closed her eyes as she felt her shaking hands touch Allen once more. She felt her surroundings start to change briefly. She had to do this. Now she understood. Elli, Raymond, and eventually Allen, had disappeared. This was a different feeling now. It was no longer a sudden shock that had almost paralyzed her. The sensation was a soft, warm one, she knew what to do. She had to know.

When she opened her eyes, she saw she wasn't looking at Allen anymore. She felt the red velvet seat underneath her as her eyes marveled at the huge concert hall around her. It seemed almost as magnificent as the legendary Carnegie Hall, if not better. The stage, which seemed to be miles away from her, was dark except for a single glowing light.

A beautiful ebony grand piano stood at the center of the stage. The immaculate wooden floor and the velvet red curtains almost seemed enchanted. Petra, her hand placed upon the armrest of the seat, could hear the voices entering her mind. She didn't shut them off this time. They were words of awe and astonishment at the all they used to sit in before her. Petra could almost feel as though she _was _that person . . . a middle aged lady, a young teenager like her, a rich man who came here any time he wanted . . .

"Vienna State Opera House," Petra looked forward to see Allen walk across the stage. Allen was dressed in his usual attire, and Petra was surprised that he wasn't going to sit at the piano and play an amazing song. Petra stood up as she walked down the aisle. "One of the most beautiful in the world."

"You've played here before?" Petra asked.

"No," Allen said, looking slightly embarrassed. "But you can tell that I often dream of playing here."

"I wouldn't be surprised if there was a big audience," Petra murmured. She had already climbed up the steps to meet him by the piano. Allen looked at Petra.

"You're like how the people describe Morpheus. No shadow wherever you go, and the light seems a little confusing around your face."

"Only happens in dreams," Petra promised. "But Morpheus has those traits asleep or awake."

"Are you alright?" Allen asked, his eyebrows raised slightly as he studied Petra's face. "You look tired."

"Just fine," Petra said quickly. "Don't I always?"

"I guess," Allen said, shrugging. Petra took his hand, gingerly this time. Luckily she didn't feel the shock, but the familiar feeling of his palm.

"Okay," Petra said, exhaling slowly. "Let me think."

She closed her eyes, feeling her senses extend outward. She felt herself leaving Camp Half-blood, knowing that the people asleep wasn't the one she was looking for. She could feel the people in Manhattan starting to sleep; some were still poring over books, however, or staring at a computer screen, or racing through the streets. In her dreams, she can only vaguely pinpoint the location of the people asleep. But for some reason, Petra couldn't sense Kalley anywhere. The calm voices filled her head as her mind scanned perfunctorily for anything familiar. Maybe even that blonde guy might help her. Was Kalley not in New York? Petra couldn't tell anymore. She couldn't ell where she was.

And then she found her. In a few seconds, she was aware of her hand in Allen's, and when she opened her eyes again, the two of them were standing in a wide open field. The sky above them was filled with an overwhelming cluster of gleaming stars. Petra let herself exhale in awe.

She looked at Allen, who seemed to be blinking twice as he rubbed his eyes. He looked at Petra.

"You did it."

"Well," Petra said, knowing Kalley was already here. "Beginners luck."

"She's been dreaming about this place?" Allen said, looking at the sky. "It's pretty familiar, if you ask me.

"I can't be seen, Allen," Petra said. If she talked to Kalley, Petra knew it would've work because they've only known each other for a few hours. "I think she's the only one who trusts you."

It looked as though Allen had been stabbed. "That's not true."

Petra cursed silently, ignoring Allen's comment. Usually, she could conceal herself in a shadow of an object or a person. But it was dark, and Kalley was already here. Petra thought of something, but couldn't help but feel a little nauseous.

"Pick something A-Allen," Petra breathed. "Mouse or wolf. Before I change my mind."

"What do you me-"

"Just pick." Petra snapped.

"Okay," Allen said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Mouse."

Petra groaned, muttering to herself. "It can't be that bad," Petra said, thinking of the possibilities. She could do it. She was in control.

"Why?" Allen said, feeling annoyed. "You want the wolf?- Er, Oh. Okay."

Petra saw Allen turn around to look for her, but he knew he hadn't been able to see her change. Petra squeaked miserably as she scurried up Allen's leg, and then onto his shoulder. Allen stared at Petra, and then looked as though he wanted to laugh. Petra hated it. A wolf might've been a little better, but turning into _this _was small and claustrophobic. And furry.

"A mouse," Allen grinned. "You really look like Gus, Pet."

Petra only squeaked angrily.

_I can still talk to you, right? _Allen thought. _You know, me being able to talk to mice and all. _

_And I can still shut you out, right? _Petra shot back. _You know, me being able to control your dreams and all. _

_Okay, okay, _Allen said, grinning. _Just stay here, Pet. _

"Allen?" Allen looked to see Kalley standing a few feet away from him. Petra saw the look of confusion on Kalley's face, quickly replaced by- was that relief? Anger soon spread across Kalley's face. Petra squeaked again as she struggled away from Allen's grasp.

_Stop it, Pet, _Allen said. Petra felt herself being lowered into Allen's jacket pocket, where she could peep quietly through.

"Yeah," Allen said. "It's me."

_What a conversation starter, _Petra said dully.

_Shut up. _

"H-how . . ." Kalley began, looking confused again. For once, she looked so _sad._ "I-"

"You went with him an awful lot easier than you did with us," Allen said.

"Trust wasn't part of the deal at the time," Kalley snapped.

"I can't believe you left so easily," Allen said, with a look of hurt on his face. Petra was surprised to see pain reflected in Kalley's own. "Where are you?"

"Allen," Kalley said softly. Petra saw the tears running down Kalley's cheeks. "You don't know how hard it was."

Allen walked toward Kalley until they were only less than half a foot apart.

_Allen I don't know what you're doing, but it looks like you're not helping her at all. _Petra said.

"You can't, Kalley." Allen said. "Don't join him."

"I trusted you, Allen," Kalley said, her voice cracking. "You promised everything, and you lied."

"No," Allen said, bringing his hand up to brush her cheek. To Petra's surprise, Kalley didn't move away from his touch. He was taller than her by about half a foot. But Petra thought they all looked like giants. "It's all a mistake. Please, Kalley."

"They know where my mother is," Kalley said. "I can find her."

"We'll help you find her!" Allen said. Kalley shook her head vigorously. The anger and stubbornness seemed to be returning back to her.

_You're losing her, Allen. _Petra cried out, trying not to squeak.

**[xxx]**

"Allen, you don't know how much you and Elli meant to me," Kalley said. Allen ignored the scurrying in his pocket. "You guys were my friends. And it was all a lie."

"I didn't know!" Allen said, reaching for her shoulders as Kalley tried to turn away. He didn't know what else to say. It was a lame statement. "Kalley where are you? Where has he taken you?"

"He didn't tell me," Kalley snapped. "But even if he did I don't think I would tell you."

"Kalley please-"

"I loved you, Allen," Kalley said softly. "You probably don't even-"

Allen heard Petra squeak as he leaned forward and met Kalley's lips. His left hand was touching the side of her face. Kalley almost stuttered, but to Allen's surprise, she kissed back. Allen could feel the butterflies in his stomach flutter about. But what seemed like eternity ended in a single moment as Kalley pulled away from him. She was crying.

"I love you too, Kalley," Allen whispered. He'd never seen Kalley look so . . . _equivocal._ Kalley shook her head as she left his arms. She turned away.

"No."

"Kalley," Allen said softly. The silence was palpable in the air.

"No, Allen," Kalley said. "Please. Just leave."

"Why?" Allen pleaded. "You can't go to him, Kalley. It's what he wants."

**[xxx]**

"Leave me alone," Petra heard Kalley's voice. The environment around them was darkening.

_What is this? _Petra thought suddenly. It wasn't a shift in dreams. Someone was entering Kalley's mind. Something dark.

"Kalley," Allen pleaded again. "Don't."

_We have to leave, _Petra said. She could see the sudden flare of anger and sadness that reflected in Allen's face.

_No. _Allen thought. _We can't-_

_He's coming! _Petra said suddenly. Everything was clicking into place. Of course he would want to see her. _Allen if he even finds out your identity you're going to die. He will make sure you're dead._

Petra dashed up from his pocket and climbed onto his shoulder. Allen was about to yell at her, but Petra stopped him from doing anything. He couldn't walk forward or yell, because she knew he would lose his mind just to get to Kalley. Petra might lose him in his dreams.

_What are you doing! _Allen snarled at Petra as the world around them started to fade. Kalley's lonesome figure was starting to disappear as the darkness started to take over. _I can't move! _

_You'll die if you do,_ Petra said as she started to transform into her normal self again. She sighed in relief. She could feel Allen's conscience struggling to let go of Petra's grasp.

"You're just going to leave her there?" Allen yelled at Petra.

"He will _not _hurt her!" Petra yelled back. She could feel the both of them spinning rapidly as she felt Allen's presence in this world start to return to the real one. He was waking up. "She's the one he wants!"

_I'm so dead, _Petra thought, her heart sinking as she felt Allen wake up from the long dream.

**[xxx]**

Elli watched Petra and Allen. It'd been an hour or so, and Elli was far from getting sleepy. It was weird how Petra had stayed so still, and suddenly it looked like she was no longer connected with this world. She didn't fall limp like last time, at least. Ray was pacing around the room, looking back at Petra with worry.

"Are they okay?" Ray muttered. The room was actually pretty warm, since he was the son of Hephaestus, and one of the few who had received the gift of fire.

"They should be, Ray," Elli said. "It's not like anything would go wrong in on dream. Allen would find where Kalley is right now, and probably convince her to come back."

"Sure, and then we can all swallow the prophecy happily until it disappears," Ray said mockingly.

"I didn't think about that," Elli said, smiling sheepishly. Even if Kalley had been convinced, there was still the prophecy to worry about.

A sudden stir in Petra's face caused Ray to stop. Elli sighed in relief as she saw Petra's eyes blink open slowly. Petra sighed. She looked as though a lot of energy had been drained. Petra looked around to see Elli and Ray, and looked down to see Allen still sleeping. Petra got up and started muttering to herself about mice, which started to confuse Elli quite a bit.

"Pet?" Ray said cautiously.

"Idiot," Petra muttered. "The dumbest person on the face of the planet."

In a moment's notice, Elli almost started as Allen jolted up from his bed, panting in shock. He glared at Petra as he fiercely got up from the bed.

"Hold it, guys," Elli said. "What's wrong?"

"Why did you do that!" Allen yelled, forgetting that it was way past curfew and everyone was already asleep. "You just left her there!"

"There's something _wrong_ with you!" Petra snapped at Allen. "We're trying to find out where she's located and _perhaps _convince her to come back and you go on kissing as if she wouldn't mind or that-"

_Huh?! _Elli thought as Ray perked up in shock. Elli couldn't help but release a hint of a giggle. Even the corners of Ray's mouth were starting to pull upward.

"And you interrupted to prove what?" Allen snapped. "Not enough attention on you now?"

Petra froze.

"You're saying that with _me?_" Petra said. "When it's always been about _you _all this time? When it was _you _who received the prophecy today? And _you _who chose to go and find Kalley? There is nothing to do with me!"

"Hey-" Elli said.

"I was trying to get us away from Kronos!" Petra fired.

"Stop!" Ray bellowed as he pushed Allen roughly to the side as Allen tried to storm toward Petra. Elli saw Petra only glare back at him. They were acting more immature than _she _ever did. "Allen, get some sense into your head."

"Ray's right, Allen," Elli said, letting the grin escape her lips. Petra rolled her eyes. "I don't really know what's happening but Petra probably did it for the best."

There was a change in Allen's expression as anger was soon replaced by shock.

"Kronos was there?" Allen said in disbelief. Petra nodded. Allen sat back down on the bed, giving an apologetic expression.

"Well," Ray said. "Now that we know that Allen's an idiot, can you slow down and fill us in, Petra?"

**[xxx]**

When Petra recalled everything, Allen was surprised at how much detail she had incorporated into it. The voluminous concert hall, the innumerable stars, and even the wind blowing in the air. Petra even looked down in annoyance for a moment when she said she'd transformed into a mouse. Elli and Raymond were a pretty good audience, other than the part when Elli started to giggle as Petra briefly described the incident between Allen and Kalley. Allen shifted uncomfortably. Now that he thought of it, he wasn't thinking _at all_ at the time. It just . . . happened. Petra glanced at Allen for a moment.

"But we had to leave, because-" Petra stopped for a moment as the other three leaned in closer. "The air got colder. It was darker, and more damp."

"I didn't notice it though," Allen said.

"You were distracted," Petra said annoyedly. Raymond was smirking. "And my senses are heightened when I'm in control of my dreams, Allen. Plus, when you're a mouse, it's better to think of other things than to think of how you're a small puff ball covered in fur."

"So he's talking to her," Elli said. Allen shook his head.

"He is," Petra said, yawning; going through the dream must've taken a lot out of her. "The sooner we find her, the better."

"We will," Raymond said. "With the bracelets. Tomorrow."

The four of them started to get ready for bed. In a few moments, Allen was lying on the floor, listening to the steady breathing of his three companions. He didn't know why he'd lost it back there in the dream. He owed Petra an apology. He could hear Petra's uneven breathing as Petra shifted on the bed. Was it another dream? He knew she was exhausted.

Elli was breathing softly next to Allen, her head just barely poking out of the blue sleeping bag. Raymond was lying with his back facing to her, with no blankets at all, seeing that he was as warm as oven.

Allen closed his eyes as his hand traveled to his lips, then to his bracelet. He rubbed the bead three times, hoping it would at least show him something. They would start toward that location tomorrow.

_The Time of guilt has dawned upon,_

_The four who face a journey anon_

_Fire foreboding, an enemy aloof,_

_The walking dream, foreteller of truth_

_The heart of the tide, one of the last,_

_Along with her heart, will find her past _

_The hero destined to mislead his trail,_

_Before his eyes, three times he'll fail._

_The Age of Chaos, an enemy's cry,_

_First thaw is proof the hero must die._

He saw her. Traveling . . . Underground? Allen sat up for a minute, before reluctantly lying back down. Waking up the others wouldn't do any good. Allen rubbed the beads again. She hadn't figured out that the bracelet was in her pocket. He knew for sure that she was traveling west. He'd never seen such a road before . . .

He couldn't help but feel afraid. .


	30. Chapter 30: One More Thing

**o.o Here we go. The last one :O Thanks for all the Followers! Reviews are nice too :D Thank you thank you :) This has been a good story to right :O but don't worry :) **

**It doesn't end there. **

**This one's short and sweet :) and yes. I think this is the end. **

**For now. **

**Review!**

**-Olo Eopia03**

* * *

Chapter 30: One More Thing

* * *

"It's been a while . . ." He said. "I've been waiting for you."

The darkness clouded Kalley's vision. But she was familiar with that iron-scraping voice, although its identity remained unknown. The starlit sky she had just seen had vanished. It was the same sky the two of _them_ had laid under. Together. He'd told her too many stories to count. She could still feel her lips tingling. The blush was barely leaving her cheeks.

"You were the same voice in my dream from about a week ago," Kalley said. A week ago when she had woken up in her bed in the run down apartment in San Diego. The day when a Cyclops had decided to visit. The day before she met Allen and Elli. Years ago. Had it only been such a short time?

"And you still haven't wondered who I truly am?" The voice said, getting softer, but somehow more intense as it withered down to a whisper in Kalley's ear.

And then she knew.

"Father," She whispered. He had been looking for her in that dream, hadn't he?

"Yes," He hissed back. Kalley couldn't help but feel that there had been someone else present in that dream.

"And it's just you here?" Kalley asked.

"Are you really thinking about the other one?" the voice said, its tone filled with boredom. "She's been eliminated," Kronos replied. Kalley raised her eyebrows, but didn't question any further. The person in her first dream was a _she_.

"Where am I going?" Kalley asked. Whatever the destination may be, their current location was already quite frightening. She could see the face of Knox in her mind, and with it Allen and Elli, too. "He said I could find my mother."

"In time," Kronos whispered. "Hm . . . Knox has faithfully served me. The both of us." But Knox was a little . . . intimidating. Kalley only felt cold around him. For some reason he just wasn't the same as someone else. "But that boy still bothers you."

He was talking about Allen. Kalley shook her head a little too forcefully. Why should he be bothering her? He's gone. Allen kept saying that the gods were trying to kill her, but how could Allen not know? How could he be so stupid?

"I hate them," Kalley said coldly. She couldn't focus on anything. Everything around her was just darkness. "I hate them all."

"They will die soon then. They aren't your friends." The voice whispered. Kalley breathed in sharply. She covered her mouth in shock and turned away. Her hands were cold and her forehead was matted with sweat. It wasn't cold, but a shiver ran down her back. He sounded as though he was smiling. Her father was enjoying this.

"I-" Kalley stuttered.

"You still feel attached?" The voice said, amused. "After all they've done to you? It's not right for you to belong with them. You will never fit in, Kalley Gladhart. They are just jealous of you. You're too powerful."

"I _don't _feel attached," Kalley called back fiercely. It was hard to keep her voice from faltering. "They can die, for all I care."

"Then kill them," Kronos said. Kalley froze. This was her father.

Kalley gulped in a strangled sob from her throat.

"Me?" Kalley choked out.

"Yes," Kronos said, savoring the sound of the word. "Kill them, and feel their blood on your hands. Take what's rightfully yours. Revenge will be sweet."

"Revenge," Kalley repeated. Didn't Allen love her?

"Love is a petty little thing," Kronos replied. "You're better than that. Better than _him._"

"I-" Kalley stopped herself. Correction. She _loved _him. The feeling wasn't there anymore.

"His love for you is fake," Kronos whispered. His voice seemed to be blaring in her ears, though. "Look what he's done to you."

"He lied to me." Kalley said coldly. The people she had called friends. They were just going to die?

"It would be a nice ending, wouldn't it?" Kronos said lightly. "You can kill them, can't you?"

It was a question. What if Kalley said no? Would he call her weak? Why didn't she want to kill them? Why did _he_ want her to kill them? Were they valuable? The questions raced in her mind.

Kalley gasped a few times, trying to let the shock settle in. Kill them? Kill her friends?

But they weren't her friends.

That thought was the only thing that was frozen in her heart.

Kalley turned around, this time her hands at her side. She hated them. The kiss that day meant nothing. Their friendship meant nothing. Was this who she really was? The panic inside her was almost too great to contain, but for some reason, she felt unusually calm.

"With my bare hands." Kalley said, smiling.


	31. Chapter 33: An End's Beginning

Chapter 31: An End's Beginning

* * *

_Sixteen Days Prior. _

Allen closed the door behind him and turned around to see the nearly empty Athena Cabin. He had a bow slung around his shoulder, and a pack at his waist, ready to go. He wore his usual green hoodie that he would take with him everywhere he went.

The sun had risen over the hills of Camp Half Blood, and in a few moments, Allen and Elli would be taking the Pegasi to fly to San Diego. He and Elli would embark on the quest to bring the Child of Time back here.

It was all in order to keep the gods from further destroying anything or anyone. Or from Kronos to get his hands on his living heir.

Allen shook his head. He came to the Athena Cabin for a reason. The people who would be going on the quest? He and Elli Fugino.

And that alone was already a problem.

Of all the demigods competent enough to take on such a risky quest, Chiron had decided to choose . . . Elli?

Elli Fugino, the eleven year-old daughter of Poseidon who had almost minimum control over her powers, and a streak of naiveté that would only burden Allen as a walking nuisance. There was no doubt in the world that she was _way _too young to be going on something as dangerous as this. If things got to its worst situation possible, Allen knew that maybe one of them would not return to Camp, and one of those people will definitely _not _be the heir.

"Leaving soon?"

Allen looked up to see Shem Baker sitting cross-legged on one of the many beds that had been shoved against the wall, as though sleep had been deemed the lowest priority in the Cabin of Athena. Shem had his eyes transfixed on a book that was wide open on his lap, with a tiny owl fluttering overhead.

"In a few hours, actually," Allen said, running a hand through his chocolate brown hair. Compared to Allen's, Shem's hair looked like a disheveled mess. Shem's head, however, was covered by a deer stalker cap placed on top of his head, with a few tufts of faded brown hair sticking out in odd angles. Shem looked up.

"I really wish the two of you good luck," Shem said. "It would be rather surprising if the two of you do not succeed."

"Well, you see," Allen said, shouldering his bow. It was now or never that he ask this question to the demigod in front of him. If Shem could be persuaded, then Chiron would definitely say yes as well, right? "I wanted to ask you to come along."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Instead of Elli."

Allen felt his head dip a bit in embarrassment. Who was he to think like that of her? She was the daughter of _Poseidon. _If anything, she was practically _twice as talented _as Percy Jackson was at her age, because she'd found out of her heritage at the age of six. And in addition to that, her powers had just simply shown itself with much more force.

But she was _so young. _Young, naive, and inexperienced. When Allen looked at Shem, he saw years of wisdom, and Shem Baker was practically the epitome of _deduction. _

Sherlock Holmes, they called him. Everyone knew him as one who would get to the bottom of every case, crack every perplexing encryption, and rat out every single criminal who would be needed to be sought after. He was a truly amazing detective, and Allen respected that. The requests for the seventeen year-old detective from all over the world had brought him to numerous places outside of Camp Half-Blood. Shem traveled more than anyone not because of a quest, but for the utilization of his mental prowess. And he _always _came back unharmed. Not even a scratch would be seen on him.

A more efficient demigod. Stronger, smarter, and definitely prone to make no mistakes at all. Shem's mere presence made Allen doubt Elli's part in this even more.

Shem Baker closed his book and leaned his head against the wall. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"I really hope that you will accept my sincerest apologies," Shem said, his eyes closed and his fingers laced together. He opened his stormy gray eyes, and focused his gaze on Allen. "But I believe I'm not fit for this quest."

"W-What?" Allen stuttered, taking a step forward. "How can you not be fit for this?"

"One of the people who has consistently proved herself to be better than me," Shem said. "Is really none other than Elli."

"Elli," Allen repeated, sucking in a breath with the urge not to let out a sigh of agitation. "You're talking about the really small, really young kid who has no experience _except _that one quest a few years back which she _failed miserably _at. Three people out of the four came back alive. You really think _she's _more qualified that you?"

"You don't understand at all," Shem said, his steely gaze fixed on Allen. "Do you know what she's capable of doing? She can just about perform any kind of task that you ask her to do. Her powers are extraordinary."

"Well, yeah but -"

"And she has something that almost _no one _has, Allen, and I think that will be why she's actually the _only one _who could do this by herself if she wanted to," Shem said as Allen winced at the comment. "She's loyal and brave. Loyal to a fault, sure, but that no one can stop her from protecting anyone she cares about. You see the resemblance she holds with Percy Jackson, and look how much Percy was able to accomplish in such a short amount of time."

Allen leaned his back to the wall, deep in thought. He really thought that Elli was just not good enough. But the way Shem said it . . . It was obvious why Chiron had decided to pick her. If anything, Shem made Elli sound as though she was an extra bonus to take along with him, not a burden.

"And that quest from a few years back that you said did not fare well for her," Shem said slowly. His fingers were drumming against each other, but his eyes were grave. "Not a lot of people experience the pain she went through at such a young age, Allen. She has more maturity than a lot of people here at Camp, and if she ever tells you anything about it, your view of her will definitely change."

Allen looked up. So Elli had told Shem all about that quest. That probably made Shem one of the _only _people who knew full details of that incident.

After everything Shem had said, Allen instantly regretted everything he'd thought about Elli. She was so _strong. _She was smart and unyielding. He realized that she would never betray anyone to save her own life, and that she'd rather die. And it did not matter at all that Elli could attract so many monster due to her heritage.

She could fight them all.

Allen was the foolish one for thinking that she could not do it. Yesterday Elli had looked at him with excitement and determination, not even for one second doubting her partner in this quest. If anything . . . _She _was better.

"I'm sorry," Allen said, closing his eyes. He'd never felt so much shame before. "Honestly, I think I'm just afraid that she'll get hurt on this quest as well. And I don't want that."

"Care for her the same way she cares for you," Shem said, shifting his position on the bed. "Chiron couldn't have picked a better partner for you."

The two of them allowed a short silence to take place, because the both of them were thinking the same thing: that Elli was probably better than the two of them put together, and she was only eleven. After all, _she _hadn't asked to be put on this quest. Chiron had.

"Thanks, Shem," Allen said, turning around to place his hand on the doorknob. "That was pretty stupid of me to think like that, and I'm glad that you convinced me."

"The two of you are exceptional," Shem said, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "I expect a great deal of interesting stories from the both of you when you two return."

Allen smiled.

"I'll keep her safe," Allen said, leaving the room without a doubt in his mind.

"Good luck," Shem said as Allen walked out the door. As the door closed behind him, Shem stood up from his bed and opened the book once again, the binding resting snug in his arms. There, on the last page on the book a small upside down triangle with a bar on top of it had been sketched hastily near the bottom corner. Shem narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

Allen and Elli were gone. Camp Half-Blood was two people short on keeping the place safe. With the tensions between the gods due to the predicament regarding the Heir of Time, one could never know when danger would reign over their peaceful sanctuary.

And in a few days, Shem knew that they were again going to be another demigod short. That Shem might be going on a journey entirely different from any quest he'd heard of.

He just felt it.

"I'm sorry I declined your offer, Allen," Shem said quietly to himself, tracing the symbol on the bottom of the weathered page. There was a reason for everything, just like there was a reason to why he had simply said _no. _"Because I believe I have my own matters to attend to."

He could feel it, but was not aware of that the fact that in a few days, it was going to come true.

* * *

**Here I present to you the epilogue of this story and a _parallel prologue _to another story that is currently in the works. It took place a few weeks before our two demigods set off on a mission to find Kalley, and I wanted to address Allen's thoughts, and at the same time introduce a new very major character.**

**During their absence of finding Kalley Gladhart, Elli and Allen were not the only two embarking on a great adventure. I believe that Shem Baker - Son of Athena - would play a very important role some day, and I didn't know it until now that his story would take place at the same time. It's a darker, deeper story, and because I've developed a lot more as a writer, I intend to make it just as thrilling, if not more. **

**I look back at this fan fiction right now and I feel so selfish for saying that I did not get enough reviews, because when I see other stories, I realized that I couldn't have been a more lucky writer to have so many of you supporting me. My current story, _Shadow's Code, _is also receiving a lot of reviews, and I am _so _thankful for all of you! **

**I'm sorry for having not updated all of you about a sequel to this. After completing this story I released _The Dark Tide _to cover the events of Elli Fugino, and now I'm currently in the middle of _Shadow's Code. _**

**But I haven't forgotten. _I clearly have not. _**

**It's hard. To follow up a sequel with a story that had to end this way, but my mind is whirring with ideas, and I'm really hoping that you will be seeing Allen, Elli, Kalley, Petra, Raymond and the new generation of demigods _very _soon. **

**I thank you all again wholeheartedly, hoping that you will follow Shem through his travels in _Shadow's Code_, and the eventual upcoming sequel.**

**Good luck.**

**-Olo Eopia03**


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